Related Experiment Videos
Axillary lymph node dissection for intraductal breast carcinoma--is it indicated?
Cancer
|May 15, 1987
Summary
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) rarely spreads to lymph nodes. Treatment with mastectomy or radiation therapy showed similar low recurrence rates and no deaths in patients with node-negative breast cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Surgical Oncology
- Radiation Oncology
Background:
- Intraductal breast carcinoma, or DCIS, is a non-invasive form of breast cancer.
- Axillary lymph node status is a critical prognostic factor in breast cancer management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the axillary lymph node metastasis potential in DCIS patients.
- To compare treatment outcomes between mastectomy and radiation therapy for DCIS.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 100 patients with DCIS was analyzed.
- Patients received either mastectomy (49) or radiation therapy (51).
- All patients underwent axillary lymph node dissection, with an average of 16 nodes removed per patient.
Main Results:
- No patient had positive axillary lymph nodes.
- One recurrence occurred in each treatment group (mastectomy and radiation therapy).
- Median follow-up was 27 months, with no reported deaths.
Conclusions:
- DCIS demonstrates a low propensity for axillary lymph node metastasis.
- Mastectomy and radiation therapy yield comparable outcomes for DCIS, with minimal recurrence and no mortality.
- Axillary lymph node dissection may not be necessary for all DCIS patients.