To investigate the effect of different surgical treatments for stage Ⅰ~Ⅱ breast cancer on the preservation of intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN).

72 patients with early breast cancer treated in our hospital from January 2016 to January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into breast-conserving group (n=38) and radical group (n=34) according to different surgical methods. Among them, patients in the breast-preserving group were treated with breast-conserving surgery, while those in the radical group were treated with modified radical mastectomy. The data were analyzed by SPSS19.0 software. The perioperative related indicators and postoperative mammary gland function scores were described by (±s) and compared with independent t test. The postoperative complication rate and postoperative limb sensation were described by (n, %), and compared with χ² test. The difference was statistically significant when P<0.05.

Compared with the radical group, the perioperative indexes such as operation time, intraoperative blood loss and total drainage volume were significantly lower in the breast-preserving group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the number of lymph node dissection between the two groups(P>0.05). In addition, the total incidence of complications in the breast-preserving group was 10.5%, which was significantly lower than that in the radical group (29.4%) (P<0.05). The incidences of postoperative burning pain, numbness, pain, sensory loss and no sensory feelings of the patients in the breast-preserving group were significantly lower than those in the radical group (P<0.05). The scores of breast function in the postoperative breast-preserving group were significantly better than those in the radical group (P<0.05).

Breast-conserving surgery has a good therapeutic effect on patients with stage Ⅰ~Ⅱ breast cancer, which can effectively preserve the patient’s ICBN and improve its mammary gland function, which is worthy of clinical recommendation.