The role of radioactive iodine-125 seed localization in breast-conserving therapy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is increasingly used in the framework of breast-conserving therapy (BCT). Localization of the initial tumor is essential to guide surgical resection after NAC. This study describes the results obtained with I-125 seed localization in BCT including NAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2009 and December 2010, 85 patients treated with NAC and BCT after I-125 seed localization were included. Radiological and pathological response and resection margins were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: BCT was carried out in 85 patients without secondary local excisions. Nineteen patients with unifocal tumors and seven patients with multifocal tumors showed a complete pathological response (P = 0.18). Tumor-free resection margins were obtained in 78 patients (50 patients with unifocal and 28 patients with multifocal tumors, P = 0.27). Focally involved margins were found in four patients (two patients with a unifocal and two patients with a multifocal tumor, P = 0.27). A subsequent mastectomy was carried out in three patients (two patients with multifocal tumors, P = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS: BCT after NAC can be carried out successfully after initial localization with I-125 seeds in both unifocal and multifocal breast tumors with complete resection rates of >90%.

ARM: axillary reverse mapping - the need for selection of patients.

BACKGROUND: Axillary reverse mapping (ARM) is a technique that discerns axillary lymphatic drainage of the arm from the breast. This study was performed to evaluate both the feasibility of this technique and the proportion of metastatic involvement of ARM-nodes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with invasive breast cancer and an indication for axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) were enrolled in the study: patients with a tumor-positive sentinel lymph node (SLN(+)-group) and patients who had axillary metastases proven by preoperative cytology (CP-N(+)-group) were distinguished. ARM was performed in all patients by injecting blue dye. During surgery ARM-nodes were identified and removed first, followed by ALND. RESULTS: Between October 2009 and June 2011 93 patients underwent ARM. There were 43 patients in the SLN(+)-group and 50 patients in the CP-N(+)-group. No significant differences in visualization rate of ARM-nodes between the groups (86 vs 94% respectively, P = 0.196) were identified. In the SLN(+)-group none of the ARM-nodes contained metastases versus 11 patients (22%) in the CP-N(+)-group (P = 0.001). Patients receiving neoadjuvant systemic therapy had a significantly lower risk of additional axillary lymph node metastases (24.6 vs 44.4%, P = 0.046). DISCUSSION: The ARM procedure is technically feasible with a high visualization rate. The proportion of patients with metastases in the ARM-nodes was significantly higher in patients with proven axillary metastases than in patients with a positive SLN. Patients with SLN metastases appear to be good candidates for the ARM technique and possibly also patients with proven axillary metastases receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Discordance of intraoperative frozen section analysis with definitive histology of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer surgery: complementary axillary lymph node dissection is irrelevant for subsequent systemic therapy.

BACKGROUND: In breast cancer surgery, intraoperative frozen section (FS) analysis of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) enables axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) during the same operative procedure. In case of discordance between a "negative" FS analysis and definitive histology, an ALND as a second operation is advocated since additional lymph node metastases may be present. The clinical implications of the subsequent ALND in these patients were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between November 2000 and May 2008, 879 consecutive breast cancer patients underwent surgery including sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) with intraoperative FS analysis of 2 central cuts from axillary SLNs. Following fixation and serial sectioning, SLNs were further examined postoperatively with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemical techniques. For patients with a discordant FS examination, the effect of the pathology findings of the subsequent ALND specimen on subsequent nonsurgical therapy were evaluated. RESULTS: FS analysis detected axillary metastases in the SLN(s) in 200 patients (23%), while the definitive pathology examination detected metastases in SLNs in another 151 patients (17%). A complementary ALND was performed in 108 of the 151 patients with discordant FS. Additional tumor positive axillary lymph nodes were found in 17 patients (16%), leading to "upstaging" in 7 (6%). Subsequent nonsurgical treatment was adjusted in 4 patients (4%): all 4 had more extensive locoregional radiotherapy; no patient received additional hormonal and/or chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Discordance between intraoperative FS analysis and definitive histology of SLNs is common. In this selection of patients, a substantial proportion had additional lymph node metastases, but postsurgical treatment was rarely adjusted based on the findings of the complementary ALND.