الفهرس 
Introduction and Aim of The WorkOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The aim of this study is to compare the clinical assessment of the axillary lymph node metastases in 50 cases of breast cancer patients with pathological findings after complete axillary dissection.
Second aim is to study the distribution of the axillary lymph node metastases by level of invasion to show the value of complete axillary dissection.
From this study we conclude that:
- There are no significant differences (p= 0.304) in the average number of nodes removed in patients treated with radical mastectomy or modified radical mastectomy.
- The clinical evaluation of the axillary lymph node status remains far from satisfaction, in patients having clinically negative nodes, 33.3% were positive nodes, 18.2% were pathologically negative, and the overall error in clinical examination was 20 %.
- Axillary contents were classified level Ι, ΙΙ or ΙΙΙ based on their relationship to the pectoralis minor muscle. The total number of lymph nodes removed was 875, with an average of 17.5 nodes per patient. The average numbers of lymph nodes at the first level was 11, at the second level 4, at the third 2.5.
- Of 875 nodes removed, 205 were the site metastases (23.4%). There were 126 (61.5%) positive nodes at the first axillary level, 58 (28.2%) at the second level, and 21 (10.2%) at the third level.
- The incidence of node metastases was 76%. The average number of positive nodes per specimen was 5.4.
- Complete axillary dissection should be performed to stage patients with breast carcinoma accurately, as well as to remove tumor-involved nodes and diminsk local axillary recurrences.
- Clinical evaluation of the axillary lymph nodes status is a poor examination being erroneous in 20% of the cases.