Intraoperative assessment of nodal status in the selection of patients with breast cancer for axillary clearance.

Axillary node status was assessed by intraoperative contact cytology of four sampled nodes in each of 114 consecutive patients with operable breast cancer treated by wide local excision or mastectomy. At a mean follow-up of 18.7 months, 43 node-positive patients who underwent immediate axillary clearance had two locoregional and six distant recurrences with two deaths; four had arm oedema and one shoulder stiffness. There were no recurrences or arm and shoulder morbidity in 71 node-negative women who had no clearance or radiotherapy. The mean hospital stay was 4.3 days for patients having wide local excision versus 7.2 days for those undergoing excision and axillary clearance (P < 0.001), and 8.9 days for patients receiving a mastectomy versus 9.1 days for those having mastectomy and clearance (P not significant). Selective axillary clearance based on intraoperative contact cytology of four sampled nodes reduces hospital stay in patients treated by wide local excision and may lead to a reduction in arm morbidity without impairing disease control.