Importance of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Surgical Therapy of in situ Breast Cancer

Is sentinel lymph node biopsy indicated in patients with a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ? A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Recent discussion has suggested that some cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with high risk of invasive disease may require sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB).

METHODS

Systematic literature review identified 48 studies (9,803 DCIS patients who underwent SLNB). Separate analyses for patients diagnosed preoperatively by core sampling and patients diagnosed postoperatively by specimen pathology were conducted to determine the percentage of patients with axillary nodal involvement. Patient factors were analyzed for associations with risk of nodal involvement.

RESULTS

The mean percentage of positive SLNBs was higher in the preoperative group (5.95% vs 3.02%; P = .0201). Meta-regression analysis showed a direct association with tumor size (P = .0333) and grade (P = .00839) but not median age nor tumor upstage rate.

CONCLUSIONS

The SLNB should be routinely considered in patients with large (>2 cm) high-grade DCIS after a careful multidisciplinary discussion. In the context of breast conserving surgery, the SLNB is not routinely indicated for low- and intermediate-grade DCIS, high-grade DCIS smaller than 2 cm, or pure DCIS diagnosed by definitive surgical excision.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ: Chinese experiences

The axillary treatment of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the roles of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with breast DCIS. A database containing the data from 262 patients diagnosed with breast DCIS and 100 patients diagnosed with DCIS with microinvasion (DCISM) who received SLNB between January 2002 and July 2014 was retrospectively analyzed. Of the 262 patients with DCIS, 9 presented with SLN metastases (3 macrometastases and 6 micrometastases). Patients with large tumors diagnosed by ultrasound or with tumors of high histological grade had a higher positive rate of SLNs than those without (P=0.037 and P<0.0001, respectively). Of the 100 patients with DCISM, 11 presented with metastases. Younger patients had a higher positive rate of SLNs (P=0.028). According to the results of this study and the systematic review of recent studies, the indications of SLNB for patients with DCIS are as follows: SLNB should be performed in all DCISM patients and in those DCIS patients who received mastectomy, and could be avoided in those who received breast-conserving surgery. However, SLNB should be recommended to patients who have high risks of harboring invasive components. The risk factors include a large, palpable tumor, a mammographic mass or a high histological grade.

Sentinel lymph node status and axillary lymph node dissection in the surgical treatment of breast cancer

Axillary lymph node dissection has been traditionally perceived as a therapeutic and a staging procedure and unselectively removes all axillary lymph nodes. There still remains some controversy as concerns the survival benefit associated with axillary clearance. Sentinel lymph node biopsy removes the most likely sites of regional metastases, the lymph nodes directly connected with the primary tumour. It allows a more accurate staging and a selective indication for clearing the axilla, restricting this to patients who may benefit of it. Axillary dissection was performed in all patients during the learning phase of sentinel lymphadenectomy, but later only patients with metastasis to a sentinel node underwent this operation. Currently, even some patients with minimal sentinel node involvement, including some with macrometastasis may skip axillary clearance. This review summarizes the changes that have occurred in the surgical management of the axilla, the evidences and controversies behind these changes, along with current recommendations. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(6), 203–215.

Utility of intraoperative frozen section examination of sentinel lymph nodes in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast

BACKGROUND

Intraoperative frozen section (IFS) examination of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) is useful in selecting patients with invasive breast cancer for immediate axillary lymph node dissection. However, whether IFS evaluation of the SLNs in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast has any value has not been previously assessed.

METHODS

Clinicopathologic data from patients with DCIS who underwent resection with SLN biopsy (2004-2010) were collected to assess the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of IFS, and its impact on axillary management.

RESULTS

A total of 267 patients with DCIS underwent resection with SLN biopsy and IFS evaluation. Preoperative pathology was DCIS (n = 231), DCIS with microinvasion (n = 24), and DCIS with other lesions (n = 12). Fifty-two (19.5%) patients had invasive breast cancer on final pathology. SLN metastases were identified in 13 (4.8%) patients; however, only 4 (1.5%) were IFS positive. IFS examination was negative in 263 (98.5%) patients. Among patients with SLN metastases, the most common pattern of metastases was either micrometastasis (n = 6) or immunohistochemistry-positive individual tumor cells (n = 4), whereas 3 patients had a macrometastasis. IFS examination was falsely negative in 9 of these 13 patients for a false-negative rate of 69.3%, and a sensitivity and specificity of 31% and 100% respectively. Nine of the 13 patients underwent axillary lymph node dissection and only 1 patient had further axillary metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

SLN metastases in DCIS is rare and most commonly involves SLN micrometastasis or immunohistochemistry-positive individual tumor cells. SLN IFS evaluation in DCIS has a low yield and sensitivity, and can be safely omitted to reduce operative duration and cost.

A rare case of extensive ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast with secretory features

We report a very rare case of extensive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast with secretory features in a 30-year old Japanese woman. The patient presented with a nodule in the lower inner quadrant of the left breast measuring approximately 2-3 cm, accompanied by an irregular tumor shadow with segmental microcalcification on mammography. These findings suggested malignancy, and excisional biopsy was performed following core needle biopsy. Pathological diagnosis was that of DCIS with secretory features. A treatment plan of simple mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy was chosen. Most previous reports have only described invasive secretory carcinoma of the breast. We have only been able to find 2 case reports of non-invasive secretory lesion in the English literature to date. Because the characteristics of this lesion are not widely known, we thought it important to share our findings.

[Predictive factors of invasion with initial diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ based on core biopsy]

INTRODUCTION

Previous studies suggest that sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) should not be performed in case of pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) routinely. In order to avoid a second operation for invasive cancer detected postoperatively the chance of invasion need to be determined preoperatively. The purpose of our retrospective study was to evaluate the sensitivity of core biopsy and determine the predictive value of clinical and histological factors of invasion in cases when DCIS diagnosed preoperatively.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Between January 2006 and December 2011, 1311 patients were treated for breast cancer in our institute, of whom preoperative core biopsy showed DCIS in 50 cases. Wide excision or quadrantectomy was performed in 41 cases, re-excision was necessary in 6 cases for positive surgical margins and mastectomy was carried out in four patients for multicentricity. In further 9 cases extensive tumour size indicated mastectomy straight away. SLNB was carried out in 31 patients, axillary block dissection (ABD) in 8 patients, while ABD for positive sentinel nodes in another two cases. Pathology showed invasion in 17 (34,7 %) cases.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis showed that tumour grade, symptomatic disease, patients' age were significant predictors of invasion. Although preoperative tumour size also showed correlation with invasiveness, this was statistically not significant.

CONCLUSION

Evaluation of a larger patient population might be helpful to identify women who should undergo tumour excision and SLNB as a single step operation due to increased risk of invasive disease despite the preoperative diagnosis of DCIS.