Reevaluation of parasternal lymph node dissection in the treatment of mammary cancer.

One hundred and forty one patients with mammary cancer underwent the extended radical mastectomy with parasternal lymph nodes dissection between January, 1966 and December, 1974. From the basis of the present report involvement of parasternaly lymph node chain was evaluated retrospectively with respect to the stage, location, size, histological type of cancer, metastasis to axillary and subclavicular lymph nodes, and the five-year survival rate. The parasternal as well as subclavicular and axillary lymph node involvements were not found in non-infiltrating cancer. The more the stage of cancer advanced, the more frequently the parasternal lymph nodes were involved regardless of the location of cancer in the breast. The parasternal lymph node chain alone was rarely involved, but frequently affected along with the axillary lymph nodes. When the parasternal lymph nodes were involved, the five-year survival rate was extremely poor, even after their surgical removal. Subsequently, addition of parasternal lymph node dissection does not seem to be beneficial.