To explore the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery combined with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of breast cancer.

From June 2016 to December 2020, 124 female patients with early-stage breast cancer were selected and randomly divided into the study group (treated with laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery combined with RFA) and the control group (treated with laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery alone), with 62 cases in each group. The levels of serum inflammatory factors before and 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery, the occurrence of upper limb lymphedema after surgery, and the aesthetic effect of the breast were compared between the two groups using the χ² test or t test.

One week after surgery, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the study group were higher than those in the control group, and the levels of these inflammatory factors in the study group were lower than those in the control group at 1 month and 3 months after surgery (P<0.05); the incidence of upper limb lymphedema in the study group (21.0%) was lower than that in the control group (38.7%), and the normal rate of indocyanine green lymphography indicating normal lymphatic return in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); the total clinical effective rate (79.0%) and FACT-B score of breast cancer patients in the study group were higher than those in the control group, and the recurrence rate (8.1%) was lower than that in the control group (all P<0.05); there was no statistically significant difference in aesthetic effect and postoperative complication rate between the two groups (P>0.05).

Laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery combined with RFA has clinical application value for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Although the early postoperative inflammatory response was slightly more significant, the long-term anti-inflammatory effect was better, which could improve lymphatic return function, reduce the incidence of upper limb lymphedema, improve clinical efficacy, reduce recurrence rate, improve patient quality of life, and have good safety.