La chirurgie du creux axillaire en 1998

Summary ed for a systematic axillary clearance in breast cancer is presently under question. Alternative methods include the omission of node biopsy in very small tumours and lymphadenectomy limited to the sentinel node. This article discusses the current procedures in axillary surgery in 1998, with information concerning the relationships between the tumour characteristics and the probability of nodal involvement, the new surgical techniques aiming at reducing morbidity, with special emphasis on sentinel node biopsy, and the therapeutic protocols presently being used at the Institut Curie.