[Ambulatory surgical treatment for breast carcinoma]

The aim of the study is to demonstrate the feasibility and the oncologic effectiveness of quadrantectomy plus sentinel node biopsy performed under local anesthesia, and to demonstrate the economic and psychologic advantages.

From October 1996 to March 2000, 71 patients affected with clinical T1 N0 breast cancer, underwent quadrantectomy or tumor resection plus sentinel node biopsy and clinically suspicion axillary nodes biopsy, under local anesthesia at the Casa di Cura "Villa Mafalda" in Rome.

Twenty tumors were T1a, 26 T1b e 25 T1c. A mean of 2 sentinel nodes (range 1-4) and a mean of 8 axillary nodes were removed during the procedure. In 2 cases sentinel nodes were not identified. Intraoperative histologic examination showed metastatic sentinel nodes in 11 cases. An axillary node dissection was performed in all cases (>12 nodes) and no other metastatic nodes were found. In all patients clinically suspected nodes were removed. In two cases no evidence of metastasis was found in sentinel nodes, while histologic examination revealed in a patient micrometastasis in one node, and in another patient two metastatic nodes.

Fifty-three patients rated the overall surgical, anesthetic and recovery experience as "very satisfactory", 13 "satisfactory" and 5 "unsatisfactory". Patients typically expressed their pleasure at the possibility to return home and stressed the ease of recovery.