One-step nucleic acid amplification for intraoperative detection of lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients

Recent advances in photodynamic diagnosis of gastric cancer using 5-aminolevulinic acid

Photodynamic diagnosis based on 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced protoporphyrin IX has been clinically applied in many fields based upon its evidenced efficacy and adequate safety. In order to establish a personalized medicine approach for treating gastric cancer patients, rapid intraoperative detection of malignant lesions has become important. Feasibility of photodynamic diagnosis using 5-aminolevulinic acid for gastric cancer patients has been investigated, especially for the detection of peritoneal dissemination and lymph node metastasis. This method enables intraoperative real-time fluorescence detection of peritoneal dissemination, exhibiting higher sensitivity than white light observation without histopathological examination. The method also enables detection of metastatic foci within excised lymph nodes, exhibiting a diagnostic accuracy comparable to that of a current molecular diagnostics technique. Although several complicating issues still need to be resolved, such as the effect of tissue autofluorescence and the insufficient depth penetration of excitation light, this simple and rapid method has the potential to become a useful diagnostic tool for gastric cancer, as well as urinary bladder cancer and glioma.

Sentinel lymph node identification using superparamagnetic iron oxide particles versus radioisotope: The French Sentimag feasibility trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The French Sentimag feasibility trial evaluated a new method for the localization of breast cancer sentinel lymph node (SLN) using Sienna+®, superparamagnetic iron oxide particles, and Sentimag® detection in comparison to the standard technique (isotopes ± blue dye).

METHODS

We conducted a prospective multicentric paired comparison trial on 115 patients. SLN localization was performed using both the magnetic technique and the standard method. Detection rate and concordance between magnetic and standard tracers were calculated. Post-operative complications were assessed after 30 days.

RESULTS

Results are based on 108 patients. SLN identification rate was 98.1% [93.5-99.8] for both methods, 97.2% [92.1-99.4] for Sienna+® and 95.4% [89.5-98.5] for standard technique. A mean of 2.1 SLNs per patient was removed. The concordance rate was 99.0% [94.7-100.0%] per patient and 97.4% [94.1-99.2] per node. Forty-six patients (43.4%) had nodal involvement. Among involved SLNs, concordance rate was 97.7% [88.0-99.9] per patient and 98.1% [90.1-100.0] per node.

CONCLUSIONS

This new magnetic tracer is a feasible method and a promising alternative to the isotope. It could offer benefits for ambulatory surgery or sites without nuclear medicine departments. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:501-507. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A multicentre validation of Metasin: a molecular assay for the intraoperative assessment of sentinel lymph nodes from breast cancer patients

AIMS

Treatment strategies for breast cancer continue to evolve. No uniformity exists in the UK for the management of node-positive breast cancer patients. Most centres continue to use conventional histopathology of sampled sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), which requires delayed axillary clearance in up to 25% of patients. Some use touch imprint cytology or frozen section for intraoperative testing, although both have inherent sensitivity issues. An intraoperative molecular diagnostic approach helps to overcome some of these limitations. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness of Metasin, a molecular method for the intraoperative evaluation of SLNs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

RNA from 3296 lymph nodes from 1836 patients undergoing SLN assessment was analysed with Metasin. Alternate slices of tissue were examined in parallel by histology. Cases deemed to be discordant were analysed by protein gel electrophoresis. There was concordance between Metasin and histology in 94.1% of cases, with a sensitivity of 92% [95% confidence interval (CI) 88-94%] and a specificity of 97% (95% CI 95-97%). Positive and negative predictive values were 88% and 98%, respectively. Over half of the discordant cases (4.4%) were ascribed to tissue allocation bias (TAB).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical validation of the Metasin assay suggests that it is sufficiently sensitive and specific to make it fit for purpose in the intraoperative setting.

Sentinel lymph nodes for breast carcinoma: an update on current practice

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has been established as the standard of care for axillary staging in patients with invasive breast carcinoma and clinically negative lymph nodes (cN0). Historically, all patients with a positive SLN underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The ACOSOG Z0011 trial showed that women with T1-T2 disease and cN0 who undergo breast-conserving surgery and whole-breast radiotherapy can safely avoid ALND. The main goal of SLN examination should be to detect all macrometastases (>2 mm). Gross sectioning of SLNs at 2-mm intervals and microscopic examination of one haematoxylin and eosin-stained section from each SLN block is the preferred method for pathological evaluation of SLNs. The role and timing of SLN biopsy for patients who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy is controversial, and continues to be explored in clinical trials. SLN biopsies from patients with invasive breast carcinoma who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy pose particular challenges for pathologists.

The Use of CYFRA 21-1 for the Detection of Breast Cancer Axillary Lymph Node Metastases in Needle Washouts of Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsies

BACKGROUND

In the preoperative setting of breast cancer, fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) guided by ultrasonography can be used to detect axillary lymph node metastases. The aim of the current study was to determine whether measurement in needle washouts of CYFRA 21-1, a soluble fragment of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), can improve the diagnosis of lymph node tumor deposits.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our prospective study included 329 breast cancer patients eligible for a sentinel node procedure. Eighty-two patients had a ultrasonography-guided FNAB of an abnormal or suspicious axillary node and were included in the current analysis. Samples were processed with smears and cell-block histology; afterwards, needles were washed with saline solution, and the CYFRA 21-1 content in the washouts was measured. The cutoff value for positive samples that expressed CK19, as shown by their immunohistochemistry, was determined by a receiver operating characteristic curve. On the basis of this value, the specificity and the sensitivity, as well as the positive and negative predictive values, were then calculated using cytology results as a reference standard.

RESULTS

Of the 82 axillary lymph nodes sampled, 61 were positive on cytology and were metastatic for breast cancer, as confirmed by surgery. The median CYFRA 21-1 concentration of positive samples was 88.94 ng/mL, whereas in the 21 negative nodes, its median concentration was 1.02 ng/mL (P<0.0001). A CYFRA 21-1 cutoff value of 1.98 ng/mL, obtained by the receiver operating characteristic curve, was able to clearly separate negative from positive samples and gave the test a sensitivity of 0.98 and a specificity of 1.00. Positive and negative predictive values were 1.00 and 0.95, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The measurement of CYFRA 21-1 levels in needle washouts after axillary lymph node FNABs represents an accurate, sensitive, and highly predictive procedure in detecting metastatic deposits of breast cancer and is fit to complement cytology and CK19 immunohistochemistry as a diagnostic tool.

One-step nucleic acid amplification assay for intraoperative prediction of advanced axillary lymph node metastases in breast cancer patients with sentinel lymph node metastasis

The one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay is used to semiquantitatively measure the cytokeratin (CK)19 mRNA copy numbers of each sentinel lymph node (SLN) in breast cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the diagnosis of ≥4 LN metastases is possible using the OSNA assay intraoperatively. Between May, 2010 and December, 2014, a total of 134 patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) of positive SLNs were analyzed. The total tumor load (TTL) was defined as the total CK19 mRNA copies of all positive SLNs. The correlation between TTL and ≥4 LN metastases was evaluated. Of the 134 patients, 31 (23.1%) had ≥4 LN metastases. TTL ≥5.4×10⁴ copies/µl evaluated by receiver operator characteristic curve analysis was examined along with other clinicopathological variables. In the multivariate analysis, only TTL ≥5.4×10⁴ copies/µl was correlated with ≥4 LN metastases (odds ratio = 2.95, 95% confidence interval: 1.17-7.97, P=0.022). Therefore, TTL assessed by the OSNA assay has the potential to be a predictor of ≥4 LN metastases and it may be useful for the selection of patients with positive SLNs in whom ALND may be safely omitted.

[Prediction of Post-operative Lymph Node Metastasis with a Molecular Biological Test in Head and Neck Cancer]

We assessed herein the post-operative lymph node metastasis in head and neck cancer, using the One-step nucleotide amplification (OSNA) method targeting matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7). Compared with the pathological test, the molecular biological test revealed more lymph node metastasis, resulting in poor prognosis. Six cases, of which the number of lymph node metastasis was the same between pathological and molecular biological test, survived. On the other hand, three of four cases, in which number of lymph node metastasis in the molecular biological test were larger than the pathological test, died from metastasis. We concluded that the pathological test underestimated metastasis, and OSNA with MMP-7 was useful for the prediction of post-operative lymph node metastasis.

Elaboration of a nomogram to predict non sentinel node status in breast cancer patients with positive sentinel node, intra-operatively assessed with one step nucleic acid amplification method

BACKGROUNDS

Tumor-positive sentinel node(SLN) biopsy results in a risk of nonsentinel node metastases in case of micro and macro metastases ranging from 20 to 50 %, respectively. Therefore, most patients underwent unnecessary axillary lymph node dissections. Thus, the development of a mathematical model for predicting patient-specific risk of non sentinel node(NSLN) metastases is strongly warranted.

METHODS

The following parameters were recorded:

CLINICAL

hospital, age, medical record number Bio-pathological: tumor (T) size, grading (G), multifocality, histological type, LVI, ER-PR status, HER-2, ki67, molecular classification (luminal A, luminal B, HER2 like, triple negative) Sentinel and nonsentinel lymph node related: number of removed SLNs, number of positive and negative SLNs, copy number of positive sentinel nodes, ratio: number of positive SLNs to number of removed SLNs, number of removed and number of positive nodes after ALND. A total of 2460 patients have been included in the database. All the patients have been provided by the authors of this paper.

RESULTS

Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that only the number of a CK19 mRNA copies (p < 0.0001), T size (p < 0.0001) and LVI (p < 0.0001) were associated with NSN metastases. The discrimination of the model, quantified with the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve, was 0.71 (95 %, C.I. 0.69-0.73), thus confirming a good level of reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

The nomogram may be employed by the surgeon as a decision making tool on whether to perform an intraoperative axillary lymph node dissection on breast cancer patients with SLN positive. The large population employed and the standardized method of measuring the value of CK19 mRNA copies are appropiate prerequisites for a reliable nomogram.

A systematic review and economic evaluation of intraoperative tests [RD-100i one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) system and Metasin test] for detecting sentinel lymph node metastases in breast cancer

BACKGROUND

In breast cancer patients, sentinel lymph node biopsy is carried out at the same time as the removal of the primary tumour to postoperatively test with histopathology for regional metastases in the sentinel lymph node. Those patients with positive test results are then operated on 2-4 weeks after primary surgery to remove the lymph nodes from the axilla (axillary lymph node dissection, ALND). New molecular tests RD-100i [one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA); based on messenger RNA amplification to identify the cytokeratin-19 (CK19) gene marker] (Sysmex, Norderstedt, Germany) and Metasin (using the CK19 and mammaglobin gene markers) (Cellular Pathology, Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow, UK) are intended to provide an intraoperative diagnosis, thereby avoiding the need for postoperative histopathology and, in positive cases, a second operation for ALND.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using OSNA and Metasin in the NHS in England for the intraoperative diagnosis of sentinel lymph nodes metastases, compared with postoperative histopathology, the current standard.

DATA SOURCES

Electronic databases including MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library and the Health Economic Evaluations Database as well as clinical trial registries, grey literature and conference proceedings were searched up to July 2012.

REVIEW METHODS

A systematic review of the evidence was carried out using standard methods. Single-gate studies were used to estimate the accuracy of OSNA with histopathology as the reference standard. The cost-effectiveness analysis adapted an existing simulation model of the long-term costs and health implications of early breast cancer diagnostic outcomes. The model accounted for the costs of an extended first operation with intraoperative testing, the loss of health-related quality of life (disutility) from waiting for postoperative test results, disutility and costs of a second operation, and long-term costs and disutility from lymphoedema related to ALND, adjuvant therapy, locoregional recurrence and metastatic recurrence.

RESULTS

A total of 724 references were identified in the searches, of which 17 studies assessing test accuracy were included in the review, 15 on OSNA and two on Metasin. Both Metasin studies were unpublished. OSNA sensitivity of 84.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 74.7% to 91.0%] and specificity of 91.8% (95% CI 87.8% to 94.6%) for patient nodal status were estimated in a meta-analysis of five studies [unadjusted for tissue allocation bias (TAB)]. At these values and a 20% node-positive rate, OSNA resulted in lifetime discounted cost-savings of £498 and a quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) loss of 0.048 relative to histopathology, that is, £4324 saved per QALY lost. The most favourable plausible scenario for OSNA in terms of the node-positive rate (range 10-40%), diagnostic accuracy values (91.3% sensitivity and 94.2% specificity, from three reports that adjusted for TAB), the costs of histopathology, OSNA and second surgery, and long-term costs and utilities resulted in a maximum saving per QALY lost of £10,500; OSNA sensitivity and specificity would need to be ≥ 95% for this figure to be ≥ £20,000.

LIMITATIONS

There is limited evidence on the diagnostic test accuracy of intraoperative tests. The quality of information on costs of resource utilisation during the diagnostic pathway is low and no evidence exists on the disutility of waiting for a second surgery. No comparative studies exist that report clinical outcomes of intraoperative diagnostic tests. These knowledge gaps have more influence on the decision than current uncertainty in the performance of postoperative histopathology in standard practice.

CONCLUSIONS

One-step nucleic acid amplification is not cost-effective for the intraoperative diagnosis of sentinel lymph node metastases. OSNA is less accurate than histopathology and the consequent loss of health benefits in this patient group is not compensated for by health gains elsewhere in the health system that may be obtained with the cost-savings made. The evidence on Metasin is insufficient to evaluate its cost-effectiveness.

STUDY REGISTRATION

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42012002889.

FUNDING

The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Detection of Cervical Lymph Node Micrometastases in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity, Pharynx and Larynx

Background: The goal of this prospective study was to determine the frequency of micrometastases in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx in whom elective neck dissection was indicated (cN0). Patients and Methods: A total of 12 patients (10 males and 2 females) were enrolled in the study. The age ranged 42–73 years (median 62 years). Elective neck dissection was performed in all patients (8 ipsilateral, 4 bilateral) and a total of 256 lymph nodes were removed and sent for microscopic examination. Results: The presence of tumor cells in cervical lymph nodes was found in 5/12 (42%) patients. Micrometastases of SCC were found in two patients and isolated tumor cells (ITC) in two other patients. In the remaining one patient with oropharyngeal SCC, a micrometastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) was detected. Positive lymph nodes were localized in level II in three patients with SCC of larynx, hypopharynx and tongue base, respectively, in level I in one patient with SCC of oral tongue and in level III in one patient with PTC. Conclusion: Our results indicate that SCC of head and neck has a high potential for creating micrometastases which frequency is higher compared to clinically detected macrometastases. Therefore, elective neck dissection or radiotherapy of the neck should be considered in patients with high risk of occult metastases or micrometastases.

One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification Assay for Detection of Axillary Lymph Node Metastases in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

The accuracy of one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) for the detection of lymph node (LN) metastasis in breast cancer patients has been well established. This study aimed to evaluate its accuracy for patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

METHODS

For this study, 300 LNs, 115 sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), and 185 non-SLNs from 88 breast cancer patients treated with NAC were examined by means of histology (hematoxylin and eosin staining and pancytokeratin immunostaining) and OSNA.

RESULTS

The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of OSNA were respectively 92.3, 88.5, and 93.3 % for all LNs, and the corresponding values were 87.8, 75.0, and 91.2 % for SLNs and 95.1, 97.3, and 94.6 % for non-SLNs. The diagnostic accuracy of OSNA was significantly lower for SLNs than for non-SLNs (P = 0.021), which was attributable to the low sensitivity for detection of micrometastases (micromets) due to lower CK19 mRNA expression detected by in situ hybridization (ISH) in SLN micromets than in non-SLN micromets. For primary breast tumors, CK19 mRNA expression showed a significant reduction after NAC (P = 0.040).

CONCLUSIONS

The diagnostic accuracy of OSNA for NAC-treated patients is similar to that for NAC-nontreated patients, but its accuracy is significantly lower for SLNs than for non-SLNs. The findings obtained with CK19 mRNA ISH suggest that most SLN micromets cannot be detected by OSNA due to the reduced expression of CK19 mRNA induced by NAC.

Diagnostic potential of 1-step nucleic acid amplification assay in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma based on CK19 expression in a primary lesion

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of CK19 expression in the primary lesions of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma on the diagnosis of the cervical lymph node (CLN) metastasis using the 1-step nucleic acid amplification assay.

METHODS

Primary lesions and 54 CLNs were resected from 21 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma between 2009 and 2011. Each CLN was tested by the 1-step nucleic acid amplification assay, and the CK19 mRNA copy number obtained was compared to the corresponding histopathological results.

RESULTS

In the primary lesion CK19-positive group, the sensitivity and specificity of the 1-step nucleic acid amplification assay against hematoxylin-eosin staining were 86% and 100%, respectively. The p value by Fisher's exact test was < .0001, indicating statistical significance.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that 1-step nucleic acid amplification offers similar diagnostic potential to that of histopathological diagnosis of CLN biopsy in patients with a CK19-positive primary lesion. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E239-E245, 2016.

Availability of tissue rinse liquid-based cytology for the rapid diagnosis of sentinel lymph node metastasis and improved bilateral detection by photodynamic eye camera

OBJECTIVE

On sentinel lymph node navigation surgery for early invasive cervical cancers, to gain high sensitivity and specificity, the sentinel nodes should be detected bilaterally and pathological diagnosis should be sensitive to detect micrometastasis. To improve these problems, we tried tissue rinse liquid-based cytology and the photodynamic eye.

METHODS

From 2005 to 2013, 102 patients with Stage Ib1 uterine cervical cancer were subjected to sentinel lymph node navigation surgery with Technetium-99 m colloid and blue dye. For the recent 11 patients with whom bilateral sentinel node detection was not available, the photodynamic eye was selectively examined. The detected sentinel node was cut along the minor axis into 2 mm slices, soaked in 10 ml CytoRich red and then subjected to tissue rinse liquid-based cytology at the time of surgery.

RESULTS

With the accumulation of 102 Ib1 patients subjected to sentinel lymph node navigation surgery, the bilateral sentinel node detection rate was 67.7%. The photodynamic eye was examined for the recent 11 patients who did not have bilateral signals. Out of the 11, 10 patients obtained bilateral signals successfully. During the period of examining the photodynamic eye, a total of 34 patients were subjected to sentinel lymph node navigation surgery. Thus, the overall bilateral detection rate increased to 97% in this subset. Two hundred and five lymph nodes were available as sentinel nodes. The sensitivity of tissue rinse liquid-based cytology was 91.7%, and the specificity was 100%. False positivity was 0% and false negativity was 8.3%. Detection failure was observed only with one micrometastasis and one case of isolated tumor cells.

CONCLUSION

Combination of photodynamic eye detection and tissue rinse liquid-based cytology pathology can be a promising method for more rewarding sentinel node detection.

One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification in Breast Cancer Sentinel Lymph Node: A Single Institutional Experience and a Short Review

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) examination is a standard in breast cancer patients, with several methods employed along its 20 years history, the last one represented by one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA). The latter is a intra-operative molecular assay searching for CK19 mRNA as a surrogate of metastatic cells. Our 3 years experience with OSNA (1122 patients) showed results overlapping those recorded in the same institution with a morphological evaluation (930 patients) of SLN. In detail, the data of OSNA were almost identical to those observed with standard post-operative procedure in terms of patients with positive SLN (30%) and micrometastatic/macrometastatic involvement of SLN (respectively, 38–45 and 62–55%). By contrast, when OSNA was compared to the standard intraoperatory procedure, it was superior in terms of accuracy, prompting the use of this molecular assay as a very valid, and reproducible for intra-operative evaluation of SLN. Further possibilities prompting the use of OSNA range from adhesion to quality control programs, saving of medical time, ability to predict, during surgery, additional nodal metastasis, and molecular bio-banking.

Standardized processing of native tissue in breast pathology

In breast surgery, replacement of intraoperative frozen section by core needle and vacuum biopsies hampers collections of unfixed breast specimens. We practice immediate intraoperative macroscopic analysis of resection margins and vacuum-cooling of breast specimens to enable native tissue asservation for assessment of biological markers and tissue banking of tumor tissue. In addition, slicing of native tissue before formalin fixation guarantees a standardized and uniform fixation. Starting in 2013, more than 350 breast specimens were processed as native specimens in the Institute of Pathology of Hannover Medical School. Breast specimens with an invasive carcinoma and request of an intraoperative resection margin assessment were processed with an immediate intraoperative pathological analysis. All other breast specimens without assessment of an intraoperative resection margin were vacuum-fixed processed. In all cases, native tissue for biomarker analyses and tumor banking could be preserved.

Breast cancer metastasis burden in sentinel nodes analysed using one-step nucleic acid amplification predicts axillary nodal status

BACKGROUND

In breast cancer patients undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) analysis using one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA), clarity is required as to the risk factors for non-sentinel lymph node (NSLN) involvement upon axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). This study aims to identify these factors, including categorising by extent of sentinel node positivity: solitary positive node (solitary), multiple nodes with some positive (multiple incomplete positive), or multiple nodes all of which are positive (multiple all positive).

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study using prospectively collected data on 856 SLNBs analysed using OSNA, from patients with cT1-3 clinically node-negative invasive breast cancer. ALND was performed for 289 positive SLNBs.

RESULTS

NSLN metastases were identified in 73 (25.3%) ALNDs. Significant factors for NSLN involvement on multivariate analysis were: SLNB macrometastases (cytokeratin-19 mRNA count >5000 copies/μl) (adj.OR = 3.01; 95% CI, 1.61-5.66; p = 0.0006), multiple all positive vs. multiple incomplete positive SLNB (adj.OR = 2.92; 95% CI, 1.38-6.19; p = 0.0050), and undergoing mastectomy (adj.OR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.00-3.55; p = 0.0486). Amongst multiple incomplete positive SLNBs, an 8.8% NSLN risk was identified when only micrometastases were present.

CONCLUSION

Extent of sentinel lymph node positivity measured using OSNA predicts NSLN metastasis risk, aiding decisions surrounding axillary treatment.

Fine-needle aspirate CYFRA 21-1, an innovative new marker for diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients

To compare the value of cytokeratin fragment 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) concentration in the fine-needle biopsy aspirates (fine needle aspirate [FNA] CYFRA 21-1) with cytopathology of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA cytology) and to assess whether CYFRA 21-1 concentrations from ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB) specimens (FNA CYFRA 21-1) is not inferior to FNA cytology in the diagnosis of axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis of breast cancer patients.This study received institutional review board approval, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients. US-FNAB was performed in 373 ALNs from 358 patients with invasive breast cancer. Concentrations of CYFRA 21-1 were measured from washouts of the syringe used during US-FNAB (FNA CYFRA 21-1), and ALN metastasis was determined using a cutoff value of 1.93 ng/mL. FNA cytology, intraoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy, and surgical pathology results were reviewed and analyzed. The noninferiority margin for the difference in accuracies between FNA cytology and FNA CYFRA 21-1 was set as 5%.Among 373 ALNs, 136 (36.5%) were benign, and 237 (63.5%) were metastatic. The mean FNA CYFRA 21-1 was significantly higher in metastatic ALNs compared to that in benign ALNs (P = 0.001). For the diagnosis of ALN metastasis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of FNA CYFRA 21-1 (cutoff value 1.93 ng/mL) were not significantly different from those of FNA cytology (P > 0.05). FNA CYFRA 21-1 reached statistical noninferiority to FNA cytology in terms of diagnostic accuracy for ALN metastasis. Of the 20 ALNs (8 metastasis, 12 benign) that showed insufficient results on FNA cytology, FNA CYFRA 21-1 accurately diagnosed 15 ALNs (4 metastasis, 11 benign).The diagnostic performance of FNA CYFRA 21-1 is comparable with that of FNA cytology for breast cancer ALN metastasis. Our results indicate that FNA CYFRA 21-1, using an US-FNAB specimen, can be a useful method equal to FNA cytology in terms of diagnostic accuracy.

Clinical significance of breast cancer micrometastasis in the sentinel lymph node

The advantages of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in breast cancer patients include an enhanced pathological examination of a small number of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), which permits more frequent detection of micrometastasis and isolated tumor cells (ITCs). At the same time, however, SLNB raises two new concerns: whether minimal SLN involvement has a significant impact on survival and whether patients with such minimal involvement should undergo further axillary dissections. Two large randomized studies, ACOSOG Z0011 and IBCSG 23-01, have demonstrated that axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) can be avoided for select SLN-positive patients. However, for patients with macrometastasis in SLN or who do not meet the inclusion criteria of the two studies, ALND is still the standard management. On the other hand, previous studies appear to disagree on the prognostic significance of minimal SLN involvement. One of the reasons for this discrepancy is the great variability among pathological examinations for SLN. The OSNA method, which is a fast molecular detection procedure targeting cytokeratin 19 (CK19) mRNA, has the advantage of reproducibility among institutions and the capability to examine a whole lymph node within 30-40 min. This novel method may thus be able to overcome the issue of variability among conventional pathological examinations.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) based detection of Colletotrichum falcatum causing red rot in sugarcane

Red rot, caused by Colletotrichum falcatum, is a destructive disease prevalent in most sugarcane-producing countries. Disease-free sugarcane planting materials (setts) are essential as the pathogen spreads primarily through infected setts. The present study was undertaken to develop a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the detection of C. falcatum. C. falcatum genomic DNA was isolated from pure mycelium culture and infected tissues. Four sets of primers corresponding to a unique DNA sequence specific to C. falcatum were designed. Specificity of the LAMP test was checked with DNA of another fungal pathogen of sugarcane, Puccinia melanocephala, as well as two closely-related species, Colletotrichum fructivorum and Colletotrichum acutatum. No reaction was found with the three pathogens. When C. falcatum DNA from pure culture was used in a detection limit analysis, sensitivity of the LAMP method was observed to be ten times higher than that of conventional PCR; however, sensitivity was only 5 times higher when DNA from C. falcatum-infected tissues was used. Using the LAMP assay, C. falcatum DNA is amplified with high specificity, efficiency, and rapidity under isothermal conditions. Moreover, visual judgment of color change in <1 h without further post-amplification processing makes the LAMP method convenient, economical, and useful in diagnostic laboratories and the field.

Efficacy and feasibility of the immunomagnetic separation based diagnosis for detecting sentinel lymph node metastasis from breast cancer

A purpose of this study was to establish a novel molecular diagnostic model and provide new insight into the intraoperative evaluation of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis in breast cancer. A total of 124 breast cancer patients who met the criteria of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and underwent intraoperative biopsy were consecutively enrolled in this study. After the SLNs obtained from each patient were labeled, MOC-31 monoclonal antibody-mediated immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and flow cytometry were used to determine the expressions of breast cancer metastasis-related markers, including Mucin 1 (MUC1), CD44v6, and HER2. Alternatively, conventional intraoperative hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and cytokeratin immunohistochemistry (CK-IHC) were performed to detect potential SLN metastasis. The sensitivity, specificity, and false-negative rate of the three intraoperative diagnostic methods were compared and analyzed. A total of 55 positive-SLNs were found in 38 breast cancer patients using IMS, yielding a sensitivity of 86.4% (38/44), specificity of 94.7% (36/38), accuracy of 93.5% (116/124), false-positive rate of 2.5% (2/80), false-negative rate of 13.6% (6/44), positive predictive value of 95.5% (42/44), and negative predictive value of 93.0% (80/86). Patients with high expressions of CD44v6, MUC1, and HER2 in SLNs tended to have higher number of positive lymph nodes, among which the MUC1 and HER2 showed significant differences (P<0.05). Therefore, compared with conventional HE staining and CK-IHC, IMS technology has remarkably higher sensitivity and specificity and relative lower false-negative rate, thus making it an effective and feasible intraoperative detection method of SLN for breast cancer diagnosis to some extent.

Current status and scope of lymph node micrometastasis in gastric cancer

Recently, lymph node micrometastasis has been evaluated for its prognostic value in gastric cancer. Lymph node micrometastasis cannot be detected via a usual pathologic examination, but it can be detected by using some other techniques including immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. With the development of such diagnostic techniques, the detection rate of lymph node micrometastasis is constantly increasing. Although the prognostic value of lymph node micrometastasis remains debatable, its clinical impact is apparently remarkable in both early and advanced gastric cancer. At present, studies on the prognostic value of lymph node micrometastasis are evolving to overcome its current limitations and extend the scope of its application.

One-step nucleic acid amplification testing in medullary thyroid cancer lymph nodes: a case series

INTRODUCTION

Locoregional relapse in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) may be caused by nodal micrometastases. Medullary thyroid cancer lymph nodes have not yet been evaluated by one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA). Therefore, the aim of this study was to detect MTC cells by OSNA in cervical lymph nodes and compare the obtained outcomes with conventional histopathology.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Twenty-one randomized, unenlarged lymph nodes from 5 patients with MTC were examined by histopathology and OSNA. Lymph nodes were divided into four representative blocks by a sterile, single use, special cutting device in the same way as in the clinical protocol study performed by Tsujimoto et al. Two blocks were used for histopathology and immunohistochemistry, 2 for OSNA.

RESULTS

Positive results of histopathology and OSNA were revealed in 4 patients. The outcomes of OSNA and histopathology were corresponding in 3 patients. Positive histopathology results of 2 lymph nodes from 2 patients were confirmed by OSNA. In 1 patient there were only negative results of both examinations. One-step nucleic acid amplification failed to detect metastasis in 1 lymph node in 2 patients although it did not change the TNM status in these patients. There were no false positive results in the OSNA test.

CONCLUSIONS

One-step nucleic acid amplification may be an alternative method to histopathology in detecting nodal involvement in MTC. Further studies should evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of OSNA and the impact on staging in MTC.

Predictive Factors for Non-Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients With Clinically Node-Negative Ipsilateral Multiple Breast Cancer Treated With Total Mastectomy

BACKGROUND

Recent clinical trials have shown that axillary lymph node dissection can be omitted even with positive sentinel nodes (SN) unless the patient undergoes total mastectomy without irradiation. The aim of our study was to identify predictive factors for non-SN metastasis among patients with solitary or multiple breast cancer treated with total mastectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Clinically node-negative breast cancer patients with pathologically node-positive disease treated with total mastectomy and axillary dissection after SN biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. Significant pathologic predictive factors for positive non-SN metastasis were also examined.

RESULTS

There were 47 multiple and 143 solitary breast cancer patients. Pathologic diagnosis demonstrated that smaller invasion size but larger tumor size, including adjacent noninvasive cancer, was observed in multiple breast cancer. The number of involved SNs and the rate of non-SN metastasis were similar between the multiple and solitary groups. Regarding predictive factors for non-SN metastasis, lymphatic invasion and SN macrometastasis were significant factors in the solitary group, and pathologic invasion size > 2 cm was the only significant factor in the multiple group.

CONCLUSION

Larger pathologic invasion size was important for predicting non-SN metastasis in multiple breast cancer.

Prediction of macrometastasis in axillary lymph nodes of patients with invasive breast cancer and the utility of the SUV lymph node/tumor ratio using FDG-PET/CT

Background

Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is important for improving the prognosis of patients with node-positive breast cancer. However, ALND can be avoided in select micrometastatic cases, preventing complications such as lymphedema or paresthesia of the upper limb. To appropriately omit ALND from treatment, evaluation of the axillary tumor burden is critical. The present study evaluated a method for preoperative quantification of axillary lymph node metastasis using positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT).

Methods

The records of breast cancer patients who received radical surgery at the Gifu University Hospital (Gifu, Japan) between 2009 and 2014 were reviewed. The axillary lymph nodes were preoperatively evaluated by PET/CT. Lymph nodes were dissected by sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or ALND and were histologically diagnosed by experienced pathologists. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was measured in both the axillary lymph node (SUV-LN) and primary tumor (SUV-T). The SUV-LN/T ratio (NT ratio) was calculated by dividing the SUV-LN by the SUV-T, and the efficacies of the NT ratio and SUV-LN were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The diagnostic performance was also compared between the techniques with the McNemar test.

Results

A total of 171 operable invasive breast cancer patients were enrolled, comprising 69 node-positive patients (macrometastasis (Mac): n = 55; micrometastasis (Mic): n = 14) and 102 node-negative patients (Neg). The NT ratio for node-positive patients was significantly higher than in node-negative patients (0.5 vs. 0.316, respectively, P = 0.041). The NT ratio for Mac patients (0.571) was significantly higher than in Mic (0.227) and Neg (0.316) patients (P <0.01 and P = 0.021, respectively). The areas under the curves (AUCs) by ROC analysis for the NT ratio and SUV-LN were 0.647 and 0.811, respectively (P <0.01). In patients with an SUV-T ≥2.5, the modified AUCs for the NT ratio and SUV-LV were 0.757 and 0.797 (not significant).

Conclusion

The NT ratio and SUV-LN are significantly higher in patients with axillary macrometastasis than in those with micrometastasis or no metastasis. The NT ratio and SUV-LN can help quantify axillary lymph node metastasis and may assist in macrometastasis identification, particularly in patients with an SUV-T ≥2.5.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12957-014-0424-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Histological examination of sentinel lymph nodes: significance of macrometastasis, micrometastasis, and isolated tumor cells

Sentinel lymph node biopsy has been started in 1990s and has become one of the standard diagnostic procedures used to treat patients with early breast cancer in this century. In Japan, for the microscopic diagnosis of metastasis to sentinel lymph nodes, intraoperative frozen section diagnosis is widely used in combination with subsequent permanent section diagnosis of the residual specimens. Metastatic foci to sentinel lymph nodes have been classified into macrometastasis, micrometastasis, and isolated tumor cells in 2002, and the definition of isolated tumor cells was modified in 2010. Clinical significance of occult sentinel lymph node metastases, being mostly composed of micrometastasis and isolated tumor cells, has been clarified in terms of predictive factors for non-sentinel lymph node metastasis and patient prognosis by large-scale retrospective studies and prospective randomized clinical trials. In the present review, clinical implications of micrometastases and isolated tumor cells in sentinel lymph nodes and the methods for pathological examination of SLN metastases employed in these studies were overviewed.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer: the role of micrometastasis

Intraoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy is widely used in patients with early-stage breast cancer for staging the axilla. The conventional analysis of the SLN has classically been performed by frozen section or touch imprint with a rapid H&E (hematoxylin and eosin) staining. Because of the risk of false-negative results, it has been replaced by the one-step acid amplification (OSNA) assay, a molecular diagnostic assay for the detection of cytokeratin 19 mRNA expression. Due to the controversial for the use of OSNA to evaluate the SLN because of its cost-effective and the lack of consensus to perform or avoid a lymphadenectomy when there is micrometastasis, we analyze 410 patients subjected to SLN biopsy in Hospital Puerta de Hierro, Madrid (Spain). Of the total of nodes, 223 (54.4 %) were processed throughout frozen-section examination and imprint cytology and 187 (45.6 %) throughout OSNA. The specificity of the frozen-section histological examination was of 100 %, with a sensitivity of 83.33 % (95 % CI 73.07-93.60). Of the 40 patients with definitive micrometastasis in the SLN, axillary dissection was performed in 90 % of the patients, with subsequent positive affectation in four of them (11.11 %). Based on our result and taking into account that 10 % of the lymphadenectomy performed after micrometastasis are positive, we do not believe that lymphadenectomy should be avoided after N(mi+) is detected in a SLN.

Clinical usefulness of one-step nucleic acid amplification assay in the new era of sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer

SUMMARY 

According to the results of the ACOSOG Z0011 trial and IBCSG trial 23-01, rapid intraoperative examinations of the sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) are needed in only a limited number of breast cancer patients, including those with more than three sentinel nodes or who undergo mastectomy. In this new era of SLN biopsies, one-step nucleic acid amplification assay is a promising method for accurately assessing metastasis in the whole SLN, and which help to accurately select patients requiring axillary dissection and reliably evaluate the risk of recurrence. One-step nucleic acid amplification assay may therefore be an alternative to conventional pathology in detecting metastasis in the SLNs, when used for both intraoperative and postoperative examinations.

One Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) positive micrometastases and additional histopathological NSLN metastases: Results from a single institution over 53 months

INTRODUCTION

The role of sentinel lymph node micrometastases on histopathological analysis is controversial in axillary staging and management in clinically node negative breast cancer. Long-term studies addressing the clinical relevance of occult breast cancer in sentinel lymph nodes based on molecular analysis are lacking. One Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA), a highly sensitive assay of cytokeratin 19 mRNA, is used intra-operatively for the detection of lymph node macro- and micrometastases in breast cancer.

AIM

The aim of this study is to review the rate of micrometastases and further histopathological NSLN metastases, in our unit following the introduction of OSNA in Guildford.

METHODS

Data was collected prospectively from the period of introduction 01/12/2008 to 31/05/2013. All patients eligible for sentinel lymph node biopsy were offered OSNA and operations were performed by the consultant breast surgeons. Presence or absence of micro-metastases depends on the agreed cut-off point on the amplification curve. On detection of micrometastases (+) and positive but inhibited (i+) metastases, a level 1 axillary clearance (ANC) was performed and for a macrometastasis (++), a level 3 ANC was carried out.

RESULTS

66% of the patients had negative SLN (n = 672) and 34% (n = 336) had positive sentinel lymph nodes who had further axillary surgery. Of these, 45% (n = 152/336) had macrometastases, 40% (n = 136/336) had micrometastases and 15% (48/336) had positive but inhibited results. There was no difference in the patient demographics and tumour characteristics in the various positive SLN groups. In patients with micrometastases, 15% (20/136) had further positive NLSNs and a further 6% (8/136) had >4 overall positive nodes (SLN + NSLN) thus requiring adjuvant supraclavicular/chest wall radiotherapy (p < 0.05). 25% of node positive patients had further NLSN metastases (85/336) and in these patients, the ratio of positive SLN/harvested SLN (+SLN/SLN) is constant at 1:1. This shows the likelihood of further positive NSLNs if all the harvested lymph nodes are positive. This linear trend is present in both micro-and macrometastases, thus correlating with the size and number of NSLN metastases.

CONCLUSION

Our study reflects the tumour burden of NSLNs based on the molecular analysis of the SLN. OSNA has the potential to accurately identify axillary micrometastases. Micro-metastases are important as some of the patients with micrometastases had overall four positive nodes [SLN + NSLN] (criteria for radiotherapy in the absence of other adverse clinicopathological features). Also, our study highlights certain factors that predict the NSLN metastases, pending validation by further prospective long-term data. This will allow accurate calculation of the axillary tumour burden, particularly in patients with micro-metastases.

An intra-operative RT-LAMP method allows rapid and reliable detection of sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients

The rapid determination of metastasis in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) of breast cancer patients plays a significant role in the selection of a surgery strategy. Although a previous one-step nucleic acid amplification assay that uses reverse-transcription (RT) loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has showed specific advantages over traditional pathological examination, its target marker requires optimisation. In addition to epithelial-specific CK19, the internal control gene PBGD and the breast-specific PIP were included in the new method. After the RT-LAMP primers were designed and verified using a cell line, the performance of our method was evaluated by comparing it with the corresponding result of the Food and Drug Administration approved breast lymph node (BLN) assay and routine pathological examination. One hundred and seventy-four valid SLN samples from 101 patients were collected from five hospitals. The threshold of reaction time for CK19, PIP and PBGD was defined as 16, 20 and 20 min, respectively. Compared with the BLN assay, the concordance rate of our method was 95.4% (166/174). Statistical analysis revealed that the two methods are consistent (kappa = 0.890, P < 0.001). When compared with pathological examination, the performance of our method (sensitivity = 81.3%, specificity = 89.7%, kappa = 0.691, P < 0.001) was similar to that of the BLN assay (sensitivity = 87.5%, specificity = 84.9%, kappa = 0.668, P < 0.001). This result demonstrates the potential usefulness of our method in clinical practice. In conclusion, we preliminarily established an intra-operative diagnostic method that assimilates the merits of previous assays. In contrast with the BLN assay and pathological examination, our method can be completed in 30 min and shows high sensitivity, specificity and consistency, which we consider as promising for clinical application.

OSNA (one-step nucleic acid amplification) sentinel lymph node intraoperative molecular analysis in breast cancer: a cost-benefit analysis

The aim of the study was to analyze the medical and economic interest of OSNA molecular technique, compared to conventional postoperative histopathologic evaluation for sentinel lymph node exploration in breast cancer patients. This retrospective cost-benefit study was conducted in the French Universitary Hospital of Saint Etienne on patients who received sentinel lymph node exploration between July 1, 2007 and December 31, 2009. Lymph nodes were analyzed by conventional postoperative histological evaluation in group 1 (82 patients) and OSNA in group 2 (86 patients). Costs were analyzed in three different ways: surgery cost, hospitalization cost and histopathologic cost. Average operating time was slightly shorter for group 1 (histology) [71.9 vs. 76.8 min for group 2 (OSNA)]. Time and operating costs were not significantly different (p = 0.293). The average cost of pathological examination was significantly higher in group 2 (35.04 euros per node in group 1 vs. 291.84 euros per node in group 2 p < 10(-3)). The average length of hospital stay was significantly longer in group 1 (5.4 days in group 1 vs. 4.2 days in group 2, p = 0.0065). The total costs were not significantly different between both groups (3,774.6 euros in group 1 vs. 3,393.9 euros in group 2 p = 0.055). The sentinel lymph node analysis with OSNA technique does not lead to higher expenses. It also avoids another surgery for 20% of patients. A prospective multicentric medico-economic study made with a larger effective would probably confirm these results.

Discrimination of lymph node metastases using desorption electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry imaging

Desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) has been used for the identification of cancer within lymph nodes with accurate spatial distribution in comparison to gold standard matched immuno-histopathological images. The metabolic profile of the cancerous lymph nodes was similar to that of the primary tumour site.

Tumoral load quantification of positive sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer to predict more than two involved nodes

AIM

One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) can detect isolated tumour loads in axillary lymph nodes of breast cancer patients. We investigated the predictability of the non-sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastatic involvement (MI) based on the OSNA SLN assessment in surgical invasive breast cancer.

METHODS

We studied surgical breast invasive carcinoma patients, not taking neoadjuvant chemotherapy, having SLN positive by OSNA and having received axillary lymphadenectomy. Age, basic histopathological, immunohistochemical, SLN biopsy and lymphadenectomy data were compared between patients with or without MI of more than 2 non-SLN in both univariate and multivariate analyses. The discriminating capacity of the multivariate model was characterized by the ROC AUC.

RESULTS

726 patients from 23 centers in Spain aged 55.3 ± 12.2 years were analysed. The univariate analysis comparing patients with or without MI of more than 2 non-SLN detected statistically significant differences in primary tumour size, multifocality, presence of lymphovascular infiltration, positive proliferation index with ki67, immunophenotype and logTTL (Tumour Total Load). The multivariate logistic analyses (OR (95% CI)) confirmed multifocality (2.16 (1.13-4.13), p = 0.019), lymphovascular infiltration (4.36 (2.43-7.82), p < 0.001) and logTTL (1.22 (1.10-1.35), p < 0.001) as independent predictors, and exhibit an AUC (95% CI) of 0.78 (0.72-0.83) with an overall fit (Hosmer-Lemeshow test) of 0.359. A change in the slope of both sensitivity and specificity is observed at about 10,000 copies/μL, without relevant changes in the Negative Predictive Values.

CONCLUSIONS

Using OSNA technique, the MI of more than 2 non-SLN can be reliably predicted.

Assessment of suitability of the one step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay as an intraoperative procedure for detection of metastasis in sentinel lymph nodes of breast cancer

AIM

We aimed to assess the one step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay as an intraoperative method in comparison with frozen sections (FS) for detection of metastasis in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) of breast cancer.

METHOD

100 SLNs from patients with breast carcinoma were enrolled within a 3-month period. Alternate 2 mm node slices were subjected to routine FS, and later to permanent histology, and the rest for automated molecular detection of CK19 mRNA using OSNA. FS and OSNA findings were compared with permanent histology results. Difference in turnaround time was also noted.

RESULTS

With permanent histology as gold standard, OSNA was discrepant in 8 of 98 (3 false negative, 5 false positive) included SLNs whereas FS had 2 false negative cases. FS had higher sensitivity (89%, p=<0.001), specificity (100%, p=0.001) and concordance rate (98%) than OSNA (83%, 94% and 92%, respectively). FS showed almost perfect agreement (κ=0.929) whereas OSNA showed substantial agreement (κ=0.740) when compared with permanent histology. OSNA turnaround time was twice longer (mean of 47.7 min) than FS.

CONCLUSIONS

Automation of SLN assessment using OSNA is a potentially useful intraoperative diagnostic tool with acceptable accuracy. Discordant findings in this study may be due to sampling allocation. Since OSNA is more time-consuming, its practical advantage over routine FS requires further study in view of current technical workflow considerations.

A new diagnostic method for rapid detection of lymph node metastases using a one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay in endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

To improve lymph node (LN) metastasis identification for patients with endometrial cancer (EC), this study assessed the usefulness of molecular biologic techniques using a one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay.

METHODS

Using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), an optimal mRNA marker was selected, and its expression was compared between histopathologically positive and negative LNs using an OSNA assay. The authors determined copy number cutoff values and evaluated the diagnostic performance of this OSNA assay using sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). They also investigated whether an OSNA assay could detect LN metastases with sensitivity and specificity equivalent to the 2-mm-interval histopathology method.

RESULTS

For analysis of EC samples, cytokeratin 19 (CK19) was selected as a useful mRNA marker for the OSNA assay. When the cutoff value was set at 250 copies (using 215 LNs from 70 patients), an OSNA assay using CK19 mRNA had a sensitivity of 93.3%, a specificity of 99.5%, and a concordance rate of 99.1%. For performance evaluations using SLNs (120 histopathologically negative LNs and 17 histopathologically positive LNs from 35 patients), a OSNA assay using CK19 mRNA had a sensitivity of 82.4%, a specificity of 99.2%, a positive predictive value of 93.3%, and a concordance rate of 97.1%. Thus, an OSNA assay using CK19 mRNA provided results equivalent to those with the 2-mm-interval histopathology method.

CONCLUSIONS

The study data demonstrated that an OSNA assay using CK19 mRNA was applicable for detecting LN metastases in EC. Combined analysis using an OSNA assay and SLNs may improve individualized treatments according to LN metastatic status.

Triple assessment of sentinel lymph node metastasis in early breast cancer using preoperative CTLG, intraoperative fluorescence navigation and OSNA

BACKGROUND

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) became a standard surgical procedure for patients with early breast cancer; however, the optimal method of sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification remains controversial. The current study presents the protocol of our institution for preoperative and intraoperative SLN detection.

METHODS

Fifty female patients with early breast cancer and clinically node-negative axilla were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent preoperative CT lymphography (CTLG), intraoperative SLNB using fluorescence navigation, intraoperative one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) and postoperative hematoxylin and eosin histopathological analysis. Prediction of metastasis by CTLG and detection of metastasis by OSNA were compared to results of histopathology as standard reference.

RESULTS

SLN were identified by preoperative CTLG and intraoperative SLNB with fluorescence navigation in all patients, the identification rate was 100 %. SLN metastases were detected as positive by OSNA in 9 patients (18 %), 4 were (++), 4 were (+) and 1 was (+I). SLN metastases were detected as positive by histopathology in 10 patients (20 %). The concordance rate between OSNA and permanent sections was 90 %. The negative predictive value of CTLG was 80 %.

CONCLUSION

Use of CTLG and fluorescence navigation made performing SLNB with high accuracy possible in institutions that cannot use the radioisotope method. OSNA provided accurate intraoperative method, allowing for completion of axillary node dissection during surgery and avoidance of second surgical procedure in patients with positive SLNs, thereby reducing patient distress and, finally, saving hospital costs.

An improved axillary staging system using the OSNA assay does not modify the therapeutic management of breast cancer patients

The one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay is a molecular procedure that can identify deposits of breast cancer (BC) cells in the sentinel lymph node (SLN). We examined the consistency of the OSNA assay with a classic hematoxylin-eosin (H&E)-based immunohistochemistry (IHC) study and evaluated how OSNA-based axillary staging might impact the therapeutic management of BC patients. SLN biopsy results were considered to be positive in 60 patients (40%) in the OSNA group (N = 148) and in 43 (28%) patients in the IHC cohort (N = 153, p = 0.023). There was no difference in the macrometastasis (22% for OSNA, 15% for H&E, p = 0.139) or micrometastasis (19% for OSNA, 13% for H&E, p = 0.166) rates, but we found statistically significant differences in the number of isolated tumor cells (1% for OSNA, 11% for H&E, p < 0.001). There were no differences in the administration rate of adjuvant systemic therapy between the OSNA (66% in the SLN(+) patients) and the H&E (74% in the SLN(+) patients) groups (p = 0.159). The OSNA assay allows for the detection of SLN metastases more precisely than conventional pathologic methods but does not alter the therapeutic management of SLN(+) BC patients.

Positive sentinel lymph node: the evolution of axillary surgery and intraoperative assessment of sentinel lymph nodes

SUMMARY 

Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) has been the treatment for breast cancer in patients with sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy metastasis for prognostic information, local control and maybe for a small survival benefit. In recent years, clinicians have been questioning the need for axillary dissection in patients with positive SLN as the rate of axillary recurrences remains low when no ALND is performed in this group. Several variables incorporated in nomograms have been examined to predict axillary metastasis in patients with SLN metastasis and these nomograms have helped to determine which patients can spare the morbidity of the ALND. The combined multimodality in breast cancer treatments and the improvement in targeted therapies based in tumor biology have contributed to the low recurrence rates in early-stage breast cancer. As the multimodal treatment and the screening programs will improve, more patients with SLN metastasis will spare an ALND without compromising their oncologic outcome.