Staging of the Axilla in Breast Cancer and the Evolving Role of Axillary Ultrasound.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Chen MY
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8139849 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Axillary staging in the context of breast cancer is a contentious topic due to the varied practices across UK, Europe, and America. The ACOSOG Z0011 trial has questioned the role of axillary ultrasound in women with breast cancer. Published data has shown that women with ultrasound-positive lymph nodes have a worse prognosis than those with ultrasound-negative lymph nodes. Axillary ultrasound is limited as the sentinel lymph node (SLN) cannot be identified using B-mode ultrasound; however, with the advent of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), this has now changed.The published literature has shown that the sentinel lymph node can be identified using CEUS. The rates are equivalent to blue dye alone but currently inferior to the dual technique of sentinel lymph node biopsy. There are several different contrast agents that can be used and the agents that remain in the sentinel lymph node for longer can identify areas of poor enhancement, allowing for targeted biopsy.CEUS has the potential to revolutionize the way we manage the axilla in the future and may even replace surgical staging.
| S-EPMC5694501 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Clinical assessment of the axilla, especially in early-stage breast cancer, can have a high degree of inaccuracy with over-staging curtailing the use of sentinel node biopsy. Imaging of axilla, using ultrasound ± guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can help in better staging. In this study, we aim to compare physical examination and ultrasound of axilla and FNAC and assess their accuracy in preoperative staging of axilla. This was a prospective observational study. Patients with biopsy-proven invasive early-stage breast carcinoma, consenting to be part of the study, underwent ultrasound (US) of ipsilateral axilla with guided FNAC, when indicated and underwent surgery which included complete axillary dissection. Postoperative histopathology was compared to preoperative US and guided cytology (if done), to correlate the latter's efficacy in detecting positive axillary nodes. Clinically, 96% of patients had palpable axillary nodes, though of doubtful significance. On US axilla, 62% had suspicious nodes (guided FNAC was performed). Sensitivity and specificity of US axilla was 90.9% and 60.7%, with sensitivity reaching 100% in patients with > 1 node positive, while that of US + FNAC was 85.7 and 100% respectively. Although all US nodal parameters studied showed positive correlation with final nodal pathology (p < 0.005), loss of fatty hilum was the best predictor of metastatic nodal disease. Preoperative ultrasound of ipsilateral axilla ± FNAC helps in better preoperative staging of axilla. Its routine use can help reduce the false positivity of clinical examination and help in avoiding unnecessary axillary dissection and also in better selection of patients for sentinel node biopsy.
| S-EPMC6265203 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo compare the experience of four UK Centres in the use of intradermal microbubbles and contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to pre-operatively identify and biopsy sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) in patients with breast cancer.MethodsIn all centres, breast cancer patients had a microbubble/CEUS SLN core biopsy prior to axillary surgery and patients in Centres 1 and 2 had a normal greyscale axillary ultrasound. Data were collected between 2010 and 2016; 1361 from Centre 1 (prospective, sequential), 376 from Centre 2 (retrospective, sequential), 121 from Centre 3 (retrospective, selected) and 48 from Centre 4 (prospective, selected).ResultsSLN were successfully core biopsied in 80% (Centre 1), 79.6% (Centre 2), 77.5% (Centre 3) and 88% (Centre 4). The sensitivities to identify all SLN metastases were 46.9% [95% confidence intervals (CI) (39.4-55.1)], 52.5% [95% CI (39.1-65.7)], 46.4% [95% CI (27.5-66.1)] and 45.5% [95% CI (16.7-76.6)], respectively. The specificities were 99.7% [95% CI (I98.9-100)], 98.1% [95% CI (94.5-99.6)], 100% [95% CI (93.2-100%)] and 96.3% [95% CI (81-99.9)], respectively.The negative predictive values were 87.0% [95% CI (84.3-89.3)], 84.5% [95% CI (78.4-89.5)], 86.9% [95% CI (82.4-90.3)] and 86.2% [95% CI (78.4-91.5)], respectively. At Centres 1 and 2, 12/730 (1.6%) and 7/181 (4%), respectively, of patients with a benign microbubble/CEUS SLN core biopsy had two or more lymph node (LN) macrometastases found at the end of primary surgical treatment.ConclusionThe identification and biopsy of SLN using CEUS is a reproducible technique. Advances in knowledge: In the era of axillary conservation, microbubble/CEUS SLN core biopsy has the potential to succeed surgical staging of the axilla.
| S-EPMC5965773 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeWe tested low axillary sampling (LAS) and sentinel node biopsy (SNB) performed in the same patient to predict axillary nodal status post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in women undergoing elective breast surgery, clinically N0 after NACT.Patients and methodsA total of 751 women clinically node negative post-NACT underwent LAS (excision of lymph node [LN] and fat below first intercostobrachial nerve). Of these women, 730 also underwent SNB by dual technique (methylene blue plus radioisotope). SNB (defined as targeted plus palpable LNs) and LAS specimens were distinctly examined for metastasis. All patients underwent completion axillary lymph node dissection. Post-NACT, 290 (38.6%) of 751 women had residual positive lymph nodes on pathology.ResultsThe median clinical tumor size was 5 cm (range, 1-15 cm), and 533 (71%) of patients were N1 or N2 at presentation. Targeted sentinel node (SN) identification was 85.7% (626 of 730; median, two LNs); SN with palpable nodes was found in 95.2% (695 of 730; median, five LNs); LAS node was identified in 98.5% (740 of 751; median, seven LNs). In all but one case, the SN was found within the LAS specimen. The false negative rate (FNR) of SNB (blue, hot, and adjacent palpable nodes) was 19.7% (47 of 238; one-sided 95% CI upper limit, 24.0), compared with an FNR of 9.9% for LAS (29 of 292; one-sided 95% CI upper limit, 12.8; P < .001). If SNB was confined to blue/hot node, excluding adjacent palpable nodes, the FNR was 31.6% (74 of 234; one-sided 95% CI upper limit, 36.6). The FNR could be brought down to < 8.8% if three or more LNs were identified by LAS.ConclusionLAS is superior to SNB in identification rate, FNR, and negative predictive value in predicting node-negative axilla post-NACT. LAS can be safely used to predict negative axilla with < 10% chance of leaving residual disease.
| S-EPMC7605370 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeTo investigate the value of performing mid-treatment axillary ultrasound (AUS) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients who are undergoing neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) by determining the optimal cutoff number of abnormal nodes associated with residual nodal disease on surgical pathology.Materials and methodsThis sub-study, an interim analysis of an ongoing single-institution clinical trial enrolling patients with stage I-III TNBC, included 106 patients. Number of abnormal nodes at mid-treatment was assessed and recorded by experienced breast radiologists, who empirically categorized lymph nodes using a binary approach of sonographically-normal versus abnormal. Pathologic lymph node positivity was defined as presence of macrometastasis or micrometastasis in ≥1 axillary node from sentinel lymph node biopsy and/or axillary lymph node dissection.ResultsOf 106 patients, 26 (25 %) had residual nodal disease and 80 (75 %) had no nodal disease at surgery. Median number of abnormal nodes at mid-treatment was 5 (standard deviation [SD], 5) for patients with residual nodal disease and 0 (SD, 2) for patients with no nodal disease at surgery (p < 0.0001). TNBC patients with >4 abnormal nodes at mid-treatment had a significantly higher chance of being node-positive at surgery (AUC = 0.908, p < 0.0001; PPV = 90 %).ConclusionOur data suggest that a cutoff of >4 abnormal nodes on mid-treatment AUS is associated with residual disease post-NAST. If our findings are substantiated by subsequent analyses, then mid-treatment AUS could be used to identify patients unlikely to achieve nodal pathologic complete response and who should be offered alternative therapy.
| S-EPMC7534548 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe primary objective was to determine whether mid-treatment ultrasound measurements of index breast tumors and index axillary nodes of different cancer subtypes associate with residual cancer burden (RCB).MethodsPatients with invasive breast cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and had pre-treatment and mid-treatment breast and axillary ultrasound were included in this single-institution, retrospective cohort study. Linear regression analysis assessed associations between RCB with (a) change in index breast tumor size, (b) change in index node size, and (c) absolute number of abnormal nodes at mid-treatment. Multivariate linear regression was used to calculate best-fit models for RCB.ResultsOne hundred fifty-nine patients (68 triple negative breast cancer [TNBC], 45 hormone receptor [HR]+/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2]-, and 46 HR-/HER2+) were included. Median age at diagnosis was 50 years, range 30-76. Median tumor size was 3.4 cm, range 0.9-10.4. Pathological complete response/RCB-I rates were 36.8% (25/68) for TNBC patients, 24.4% (11/45) for HR+/HER2- patients, and 71.7% (33/46) for HR-/HER2+ patients. Linear regression analyses demonstrated associations between percent change in tumor ultrasound measurements at mid-treatment with RCB index score in TNBC and HR+/HER2- (p < .05) but not in HR-/HER2+ (p > .05) tumors and an association between axillary ultrasound assessment of number of abnormal nodes at mid-treatment with RCB index score across all subtypes (p < .05).ConclusionPerformance characteristics of breast ultrasound associated with RCB vary by cancer subtype, whereas the performance characteristics of axillary ultrasound associated with RCB are consistent across cancer subtype. Breast and axillary ultrasound may be valuable in monitoring response to neoadjuvant therapy. The Oncologist 2017;22:394-401 IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The differential performance characteristics of breast ultrasound by molecular subtype and the consistent performance characteristics of axillary ultrasound across molecular subtypes can have clinical utility in monitoring response to neoadjuvant therapy.
| S-EPMC5388386 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundIn the post-Z0011 trial era, the need to perform surgical axillary staging for early-stage breast cancer patients, who are treated with breast-conserving therapy (BCT), is being questioned. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to evaluate the safety of waiving surgical axillary staging in patients with T1 breast cancer treated with BCT.MethodsA total of 166,615 eligible patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2012 were divided into staging (sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection) and non-staging (no lymph node examined or only needle aspiration biopsy of lymph nodes) groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance disparities between the two groups. Multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess factors related to breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS).ResultsAlthough the tumor size at time of presentation was decreasing over years, the rate of surgical axillary staging increased from 93.3% to 96.9%. The 5-year BCSS rates of the whole cohort (before PSM) and matched cohort (after PSM) were 98.0% and 97.5%. Within the matched cohort, the BCSS was significantly longer in the staging group than in the non-staging group (P < 0.001). However, surgical axillary staging did not benefit patients who were 50-79 years old, had tumor size < 1 cm, histological grade I disease, or favorable histological types (tubular/mucinous/papillary) in stratified analyses (P > 0.05). Race, marital status, hormone receptors, and chemotherapy were not associated with the favorable impact of surgical axillary staging on BCSS (P > 0.05).ConclusionAlthough surgical axillary staging remains important for T1 breast cancer patients treated with BCT, it might be unnecessary for patients with old age, small tumor, grade I disease, or favorable histological types.
| S-EPMC6505128 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Axillary surgery in breast cancer (BC) is no longer a therapeutic procedure but has become a purely staging procedure. The progressive improvement in imaging techniques has paved the way to the hypothesis that prognostic information on nodal status deriving from surgery could be obtained with an accurate diagnostic exam. Positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) is a relatively new imaging tool and its role in breast cancer patients is still under investigation. We reviewed the available literature on PET/MRI in BC patients. This overview showed that PET/MRI yields a high diagnostic performance for the primary tumor and distant lesions of liver, brain and bone. In particular, the results of PET/MRI in staging the axilla are promising. This provided the rationale for two prospective comparative trials between axillary surgery and PET/MRI that could lead to a further de-escalation of surgical treatment of BC. • SNB vs. PET/MRI 1 trial compares PET/MRI and axillary surgery in staging the axilla of BC patients undergoing primary systemic therapy (PST). • SNB vs. PET/MRI 2 trial compares PET/MRI and sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in staging the axilla of early BC patients who are candidates for upfront surgery. Finally, these ongoing studies will help clarify the role of PET/MRI in BC and establish whether it represents a useful diagnostic tool that could guide, or ideally replace, axillary surgery in the future.
| S-EPMC8303241 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveAutomated breast ultrasound (ABUS) is a relevant imaging technique for early breast cancer diagnosis and is increasingly being used as a supplementary tool for mammography. This study compared the performance of ABUS and handheld ultrasound (HHUS) in detecting and characterizing the axillary lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with breast cancer.Materials and methodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of women with recently diagnosed early breast cancer (≤ T2) who underwent both ABUS and HHUS examinations for axilla (September 2017-May 2018). ABUS and HHUS findings were compared using pathological outcomes as reference standards. Diagnostic performance in predicting any axillary LN metastasis and heavy nodal-burden metastases (i.e., ≥ 3 LNs) was evaluated. The ABUS-HHUS agreement for visibility and US findings was calculated.ResultsThe study included 377 women (53.1 ± 11.1 years). Among 385 breast cancers in 377 patients, 101 had axillary LN metastases and 30 had heavy nodal burden metastases. ABUS identified benign-looking or suspicious axillary LNs (average, 1.4 ± 0.8) in 246 axillae (63.9%, 246/385). According to the per-breast analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of ABUS in predicting axillary LN metastases were 43.6% (44/101), 95.1% (270/284), 75.9% (44/58), 82.6% (270/327), and 81.6% (314/385), respectively. The corresponding results for HHUS were 41.6% (42/101), 95.1% (270/284), 75.0% (42/56), 82.1% (270/329), and 81.0% (312/385), respectively, which were not significantly different from those of ABUS (P ≥ 0.53). The performance results for heavy nodal-burden metastases were 70.0% (21/30), 89.6% (318/355), 36.2% (21/58), 97.3% (318/327), and 88.1% (339/385), respectively, for ABUS and 66.7% (20/30), 89.9% (319/355), 35.7% (20/56), 97.0% (319/329), and 88.1% (339/385), respectively, for HHUS, also not showing significant difference (P ≥ 0.57). The ABUS-HHUS agreement was 95.9% (236/246; Cohen's kappa = 0.883).ConclusionAlthough ABUS showed limited sensitivity in diagnosing axillary LN metastasis in early breast cancer, it was still useful as the performance was comparable to that of HHUS.
| S-EPMC10831296 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesThe goal of this study was to assess the clinicopathological and ultrasound (US) features of breast cancer for predicting the risk of axillary lymph node metastasis.MethodsPatients with breast cancer were included in this retrospective, monocentric, observational study. Their preoperative ultrasound features, clinical data, laboratory results and postoperative pathologic results and immunophenotyping were collected. The association of these factors of breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastasis was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis.ResultsIn this study, 471 patients diagnosed with breast cancer at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University between July 2016 and September 2019 were collected, with a total of 471 nodules, of which 231(49.0%) had axillary lymph node metastasis, and 240(51.0%) did not. The parameters of hyperechoic halo, posterior acoustic decrease, microcalcification, carcinogenic embryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen-153 (CA153), CK5/6 (+), Ki67 (≥40%), AR (+) and histological grade (grade II and grade III) were significantly and independently associated with axillary lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05 for all).ConclusionsThe combination of ultrasound features, tumor markers, pathology, and immunohistochemistry can predict axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients.
| S-EPMC10657709 | biostudies-literature