Clinical value of preserving intercostobrachial nerve during breast cancer operations ZHI Zhen, LIU Xiao-min, SUN Li-guo, et al. Department of Oncology , Dingxi People’s Hospital of Gansu Province, Dingxi 743000, China Corresponding author：ZHI Zhen，E-mail：dxzhi.zhen@163.com Abstract Objective To study the value of preserving intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) during axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. Methods From January 2002 to January 2006, 122 cases of breast cancer of stageⅠ, Ⅱ and Ⅲa were operated at Dingxi People’s Hospital. All the cases were divided into two groups randomly: treatment group（n=56) preserved ICBN in axillary lymph node dissection operation; control group （n=66）resected ICBN regularly in the operations. Both of two groups were treated as breast cancer and examined after the operations. Results In one month after operation, the incidence of abnormal sense on the skin of medial upper arm was 7.14% in treatment group, which was lower than that （56.06%） in control group significantly（P＜0.01）. The difference between the two groups was significant. No local recurrence was occurred in five years. Conclusion Preserving ICBN in axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer of stageⅠ, Ⅱ and Ⅲa can decrease the incidence of abnormal sense on the skin of medial upper arm. It can improve the life quality of the patients after operations.