SUBCUTANEOUS MASTECTOMY WITH AXILLARY DISSECTION FOR EARLY BREAST-CANCER

From 1983 to 1990, subcutaneous mastectomy with axillary dissection wa s carried out for 46 patients with early breast cancer including three bilateral breast cancer patients (four breasts). Cancer cells were re cognized histopathologically in the resection margins of small mammary gland resting under the nipple in four cases, and the remaining 42 ca ses underwent a curative resection. Multicentric lesions were found ou t histopathologically by continuous sections in five cases (six breast s). There was no difference in the prognosis using the case-control co mparison method between 34 patients with ipsilateral invasive carcinom a who underwent a subcutaneous mastectomy in this study group and 34 p atients who underwent a radical or modified radical mastectomy in the control group. Cosmetic results of the subcutaneous mastectomy were ev aluated in 37 patients, and 9 were excellent, 17 were good, 9 were not so good and 2 were poor. Subcutaneous mastectomy with axillary dissec tion was an effective operation for early breast cancer including mult icentric lesions and some non-invasive ductal carcinomas from the prog nostic and cosmetic standpoints.