ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effect of preserving intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) in axillary lymph node dissection on sensory disturbance for breast cancer.Methods Clinical data of 146 cases of stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲa breast cancer patients treated by modified radical mastectomy was analyzed.The patients were randomly divided into two groups.Retention group included 67 patients who were performed axillary lymph node dissection preserving ICBN,and 79 cases undergoing axillary lymph node dissection were taken as control group.Data of the two groups were assessed to compare the operation time,nunber of lymph nodes dissection and sensory abnormalities of upper arms.Results In the follow-up of 1,3 and 6 months,the incidence rate of the lateral upper ann sensory disturbance were 17.9％ and 74.9％,11.9％ and 60.7％,7.4％ and 59.5％ respectively in the retention and control group,and the difference was statistically significant (x2=46.78,P＜0.001;x2=36.54,P＜0.001;x2=42.80,P＜0.001).Meanwhile,there was no obvious difference between the retention and control group in operation time and number of lymph nodes(P＞0.05).No local recurrence after operation occurred in the follow-up of 8 months to 5 years.Conclusions For stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ a breast cancer patients undergoing axillary lymph node dissection,retaining ICBN can significantly reduce the chance of the postoperative medial upper arm sensory disturbance,improve the quality of life with no increase of local recurrence rate.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To explore the therapeutic effects of immediate breast reconstruction after modified radical mastectomy of breast cancer with nipple-areolar complex preservation and partial skin-sparing. Meth- ods- We studied 24 eady stage breast cancer patients who received immediate breast reconstruction after modified radical mastectomy with nipple-areolar complex preservation and partial skin-sparing. Nine patients had silicone prosthesis, 3 patients had transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap (TRAM), and 12 pa-tients had silicone prosthesis combined with part of latissmus dorsi-myocutaneous flap (LDMF). The effects of breast reconstruction were evaluated according to objective and subjective criteria after surgery. Results: All of the 24 patients obtained successful breast reconstruction. The appearance of the reconstructed breast was perfect and the two sides seemed symmetrical. The aesthetic outcome was good in 23 patients and satisfacto-ry rate was up to 95.83%, and the subjective evaluation was up to 100%. Necrosis of part of the nipple was found in only one case. Hematoma appeared in one patient and vanished after 3 months. All patients received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. No local recurrence and distant metastasis occurred during the follow up period (5～48 months). One patient died of primary hepatic carcinoma at 2 years after surgery. Conclusion:Immediate breast reconstruction after modified radical mastectomy of breast cancer with preservation of nip-ple-areolar complex and partial skin-sparing is safe and effective for early stage breast cancer patients. The reconstructed breast is satisfactory. Breast reconstruction surgery is economical and can reduce patients' psy-chological pressure due to loss of the breast, and improve quality of life. Immediate breast reconstruction does not affect postoperative adjuvant therapy and long-term therapeutic effect. Breast reconstruction surgery has been gradually accepted by more and more eady stage breast cancer patients.