ROLE OF OCTREOTIDE IN CONTROL OF LYMPHORRHEA AFTER AXILLARY NODE DISSECTION IN MASTECTOMY OPERATIONS - A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY

Aim: Lymphorrhea and seroma formation are disabling and serious complications of axillary lymphadenectomy. The role of octreotide in control of post axillary dissection lymphorrhea will be assessed in this study. Methods: Fifty female patients with cancer breast of different stages were subjected for modified radical mastectomy and divided into two groups; the first group was given octreotide (Sandostatin, Novartis Pharma AG, Basle, Switzerland) 0.1 mg subcutaneous / 8 hours for 7 days, the other group was the control group. Both groups were evaluated for amount and duration of lymphorrhea as well as infection and hematoma formation. Results: A significant difference in the amount and duration of lymphorrhea between the two groups was observed (P = 0.0003). In the first 8 days, the mean amount of lymphorrhea was 145.0 ±45.8 cc per day and mean duration of drainage was 27.0 ± 7.59 days in control group. In the treatment group, the mean amount of lymphorrhea was 104.0 ± 29 cc per day and the mean duration of drainage was 12.7 ± 6.74 days. Conclusion: Octreotide could be used successfully for control of post-axillary lymphadenectomy lymphorrhea and this may lower the incidence of lymphedema and lymphosarcoma