Lumpectomy with Axillary Dissection for Breast Cancer

Chang, Eil Sung; Chang, Jin Sung

Abstract

PURPOSE: The study was to evaluate the various risk factors related to local recurrence and distant metastasis in early breast cancer treated by lumpectomy with axillary dissection
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Forty nine patients with early breast cancer were treated by lumpectomy with axillary dissection between January, 1990 and December, 1996. We analysed the risk factors such as age, tumor size, axillary lymph node metastasis, stage, pathologic classification and radiotherapy for local recurrence and distant metastasis
RESULTS
The peak incidence was in the fifth decade (15 cases, 31%) and the average age was 47. The most common tumor size was 0~2 cm in 27 of 49 cases (55%). The preoperative chemotherapy was performed in 25 of 49 cases. The axillary lymph node metastasis was absent in 41 of 49 cases (84%). The most common pathologic type was invasive ductal carcinoma (29 cases, 60%). The breast skin incision was performed with curvilinear incision in 40 cases (85%), radial incision in 7 cases (15%). The axillary skin incision was performed with seperated incision in 45 cases (96%), nonseperated incision in 2 cases (4%). The most common complication was wound seroma (6 cases, 12%). By the time of follow-up, crude local recurrence rate was 10% (5 out of 49 cases) and crude distant metastasis rate was 6% (3 out of 49 cases).
CONCLUSION
The factors such as age, tumor size, positive axillary nodes and stage were not statistically significantly related to local recurrence. Postoperative radiation therapy and preoperative chemotherapy were the significant factor related to local recurrence (2.6% for 39 cases with radiation therapy vs. 40.0% for 10 cases without radiation therapy, p<0.05; 0% for 25 cases with preoperative chemotherapy vs. 20.8% for 24 cases without preoperative chemotherapy, p<0.05).