Effect of intercostobrachial nerve preserving in axillary lymph node dissection on sensory disturbance for breast cancer / 国际生物医学工程杂志

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.