Measurement of extracapsular extension in sentinel lymph node as a possible predictor of residual axillary disease in breast cancer

Background: The presence of Extracapsular Extension (ECE) in the Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (SLNB) is still a doubt in the literature. Some studies suggest that the presence of ECE may be related to a greater number of positive axillary lymph nodes which could impact Disease Free Survival (DFS) and Overall Survival (OS). This study searches for the clinical significance of the ECE. Methods: Retrospective cohort comparing the presence or absence of ECE in T1-2 invasive breast âncer with positive SLNB. All cases treated surgically at the Cancer Institute of the State of São Paulo (ICESP) between 2009 and 2013 were analyzed. All patients with axillary disease in SLNB underwent AD. Outcomes: Identify the association between the presence and length of ECE and additional axillary positive lymph nodes, OS and DFS between both groups. Results: 128 patients with positive SLNB were included, and 65 had ECE. The mean metastasis size of 0.62 (SD = 0.59) mm at SLNB was related to the presence of ECE (p < 0.008). The presence of ECE was related to a higher mean of positive sentinel lymph nodes, 3.9 (± 4.8) vs. 2.0 (± 2.1), p = 0.001. The median length of follow-up was 115 months. The OS and DFS rates had no iferences between the groups. Conclusion: The presence of ECE was associated with additional positive axillary lymph nodes in this study. Therefore, the OS and DFS were similar in both groups after 10 years of follow-up. It is necessary for additional studies to define the importance of AD when SLNB with ECE

Evaluation of frozen-section analysis of surgical margins in the treatment of breast cancer

Objective: To evaluate surgical margins in cases of ductal carcinoma through a histopathological exam using frozen sections. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study encompassing 242 conservative surgeries, 179 of which included intraoperative frozensection histopathology and 63 intraoperative nonfreezing techniques (macroscopy/gross examination and cytology). The results of such analyses were compared with those of the histology processing following paraffin embedment and hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining. A margin was deemed free when the distance between the tumor and the surgical border was equal to or greater than two millimeters. The factors given consideration for possibly affecting the results were: age, surgical aspects (skin removal and widening of surgical margins), histopathological findings (size, affected lymph nodes, and angiolymphatic invasion), and extensive intraductal and immunohistochemical components (estrogen, progesterone, Ki-67, and HER-2 receptors). In the statistical analyses, the chi-square test was used and negative predictive values were calculated. Results: The negative predictive values were 87.1% and 79.3% for frozen and nonfrozen sections, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.14). The factors under consideration had no influence on the results of the intraoperative exam of the margins. Conclusion: The present study allowed to conclude that the intraoperative exam of the surgical margins by frozen section is not superior to a macroscopy and / or cytology exam

Locally advanced breast cancer: breast-conserving surgery and other factors linked to overall survival after neoadjuvant treatment

BackgroundRecent data suggest that breast-conserving surgery (BCS) may positively impact overall survival (OS) in early breast cancer. However, the role of BCS in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) remains uncertain.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 530 LABC patients who underwent surgery after NAT between 2010 and 2015. Outcomes examined included OS, distant recurrence rates (DRR), and loco-regional recurrence rates (LRRs).ResultsAmong the 927 breast cancer patients who received NAT, 530 were eligible for our study. Of these, 24.6% underwent BCS, while 75.4% underwent mastectomy (MS). The median follow-up duration was 79 months. BCS patients exhibited a higher pathological complete response (PCR) rate compared to those who underwent MS (22.3% vs. 10%, p < 0.001). The 6-year OS rates for BCS and MS were 81.5% and 62%, respectively (p < 0.000). In multivariate OS analysis, MS was associated with worse outcomes (OR 1.678; 95% CI 1.069–2.635; p = 0.024), as was body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.031; 95% CI 1.006–1.058; p = 0.017), and stage IIIB or IIIC (OR 2.450; 95% CI 1.561–3.846; p < 0.000). Conversely, PCR (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.220–0.801; p = 0.008) was associated with improved survival. DRR was significantly lower in BCS (15.4%) compared to MS (36.8%) (OR 0.298; 95% CI 0.177–0.504). LRRs were comparable between BCS (9.2%) and MS (9.5%) (OR 0.693; 95% CI 0.347–1.383).ConclusionOur findings suggest that BCS is oncologically safe, even for patients with large lesions, and is associated with superior OS rates compared to MS. Additionally, lower BMI, lower pretreatment stage, and achieving PCR were associated with improved survival outcomes