Arm swelling was measured using volume determination in 118 patients following mastectomy (n = 60) or wide excision (n = 58), both with axillary clearance. The mean age was 60.5 years and the median follow-up was 22.5 months. Axillary clearance removed level III nodes. Axillary irradiation was given to only three patients with extensive (more than 75 per cent) nodal involvement. The incidence of early postoperative complications was 18.6 per cent. The incidence of lymphoedema was 7.6 per cent (nine patients). Three of these patients had early lymphoedema within 6 months of treatment. Arm circumference differences correlated poorly with volume differences. The incidence of lymphoedema following axillary clearance is low and comparable to that for sampling or no axillary surgery.