Detection of axillary metastases in breast cancer patients using ultrasound and...

• Author(s): Lemos, S ; Dias, M ; Gonçalo, Manuela ; Pinto, E ; Fernandes, G ; Oliveira, CF
• Date: 2005
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.4/146
• Origin: Repositório do Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra
• Subject(s): Neoplasias da Mama; Ultrassonografia Doppler a Cores; Metástases Linfáticas
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography and colour Doppler combined with fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology for the detection of non-palpable axillary lymph node metastases in breast cancer patients. Forty patients with operable breast cancer (T1/T2), invasive carcinoma, not submitted to neo-adjuvant therapy, underwent axillary ultrasonography and colour Doppler preoperatively. FNA cytology was performed on axillary lymph nodes presenting ultrasonographic and/or Doppler suspicious features. A total of 542 lymph nodes were surgically removed from the 40 patients; 19 were metastatic lymph nodes. Ultrasound-guided FNA detected metastases in six out of 11 histologically node-positive patients. Sensitivity and specificity in this preliminary study was 55% and 100%, respectively. These are the preliminary results of a prospective study that has the purpose of reducing the sentinel node procedures in breast cancer patients with clinically negative axillae, but positive FNA cytology.