Risk factors for axillary lymph node infiltration in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery
Keywords:
breast cancer; , axillary lymph nodes;, risk factors.Abstract
Introduction: Axillary lymph node infiltration is the most important factor in determining the presence of axillary metastasis and survival in breast cancer.
Objective: To determine the risk factors for axillary lymph node infiltration in patients operated on for breast cancer.
Material and methods: Analytical, prospective study in women operated on for breast cancer at the “Dr. Carlos J. Finlay” Hospital from January 2019 to May 2024. The sample consisted of 185 patients who were selected by simple random sampling. For statistical processing, the SPSS program (version 23) was used. The mean, range and standard deviation of the quantitative variables and absolute frequency distributions for the qualitative variables were calculated. The Phi square and Cramer's V were used to determine the relationship of the categorical variables. A binary logistic regression with forward entry method and determination of the Exponential (B) was performed to determine the risk of axillary lymph node infiltration of the variables studied. All statistical tests were performed with 95% confidence and a p value < 0.05 was statistically significant.
Results: The age group over 65 years predominated, in 60 (32.43%) patients the axillary lymph nodes were infiltrated. Age under 50 years, infiltrating ductal carcinoma, vascular permeation and KI67 values greater than 30% were significantly associated with the risk of axillary infiltration.
Conclusions: Infiltrating ductal carcinoma, vascular permeation, leukocyte infiltration, as well as positive HER-2 expression and KI-67 cell proliferation index were risk factors for lymph node infiltration in patients operated on for breast cancer.
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