Evaluation of distant sequelae of breast cancer treatment among patients after breast-conserving surgery depending on the type of intervention in the axillary fossa

AIM OF THE STUDY: The goal of this work was to assess upper-limb sequelae among patients undergoing breast-conserving therapy (BCT) for breast cancer 5–6 years after the surgical procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A controlled clinical study was conducted on 128 patients who had undergone surgery 5–6 years prior. BCT + ALND (axillary lymph node dissection) was performed in 58 patients and 69 underwent BCT + SLND (sentinel lymph node dissection). Patients declared active participation in physiotherapy. The following parameters were assessed in studied subjects: range of motion in the shoulder joint, superficial sensation, upper limb circumference, skin sensation, and presence of winged scapula sign. RESULTS: Five to six years after BCT, patients who had undergone BCT + ALND presented with significantly poorer outcomes concerning upper limb range of motion on the operated side compared to the BCT + SLND group with regard to the following features: flexion (p = 0.00004), external rotation (p = 0.0292), and internal rotation (p = 0.0448). However, no statistically significant differences were noted between compared groups with regard to upper limb circumference and sensation disturbances. Statistically significant differences between limb on the operated side (operated limb – OL) vs. contralateral limb (healthy limb – HL) were noted in the BCT + SLND group with regard to the range of motion in extension (p = 0.0004), external rotation (p = 0.0055), and internal rotation (p < 0.0001), as well as the occurrence of winged scapula sign (p < 0.0001) and sensation disturbances (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that both procedures are not free of distant sequelae, although the BCT + ALND group is more frequently affected.