Axillary overtreatment for minimal axillary disease in breast cancer, a 5 year audit of ipsilateral arm lymphoedema ; the real cost to patient and health service (2015)

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Type of publication:
Poster presentation

Author(s):
*Blossom Lake, Jayne Gittins, *Tamoor Usman

Citation:
European Journal of Surgical Oncology Nov 2015 41(11):p s267

Abstract:
NICE guidelines state that axillary node clearance (ANC) is the treatment of choice for the positive axilla, with up to 30% morbidity of lymphoedema. In contrast ASCO guidelines state that patients with 1 / 2 sentinel lymph node positive who have breast conserving surgery with breast radiotherapy should not have ANC. The recent ABS Consensus highlighted the need to minimise overtreatment of minimally involved malignant axilla. The aim of this audit was assess the cost of overtreatment in terms of lymphoedema.