Abstract
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is routinely used in the staging of invasive breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography (US) compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the pre-operative assessment of metastatic disease to the axilla in breast cancer patients at our community hospital. We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively collected database of 277 patients seen at our breast center from 2009 to 2010. Patients with invasive breast cancer were then evaluated for axillary metastasis. Lymph nodes were sampled using fine needle aspiration (FNAB) or core biopsy. Histopathology of the sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) or results of the axillary dissection were compared to US or MRI results. A total of 228 patients had invasive breast cancer. In these patients, 122 lymph nodes were sampled. Pathology proven metastases to axillary lymph nodes were found in 76 cases. Accuracy and sensitivity were higher in US than MRI in detecting metastatic disease to the axilla (70.2%, 84.6%, p < 0.001 and 60.0%, 52.6%, p < 0.1, respectively). US was more accurate than MRI at detecting metastatic breast cancer in the axilla in our community hospital. Axillary US should be a routine part of assessment of breast cancer patients.
Highlights
Assessment of the accuracy of ultrasound compared to magnetic resonance imaging in the ability to detect metastatic breast cancer to the axilla
ultrasonogran phy (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are two modalities often used in the treatment of breast cancer patients, in the pre-operative setting
Accuracy and sensitivity were higher in c US than MRI in detecting metastatic disease to - the axilla (70.2%, 84.6%, P
Summary
Assessment of the accuracy of ultrasound compared to magnetic resonance imaging in the ability to detect metastatic breast cancer to the axilla. Sarah Ines Ramirez, Max Scholle, Jennifer Buckmaster, Gopal Chandru Kowdley is often associated with increased morbidity and cost, as intraoperative frozen section analysis is often inaccurate in determining the presence of metastasis in axillary lymph nodes.[2,5]. US and MRI are two modalities often used in the treatment of breast cancer patients, in the pre-operative setting. US is a readily available and relatively inexpensive way to evaluate breast cancer patients and has been shown to have significant utility in the. Contributions: SR, GK data acquisition, analysis, manuscript writing, editing, conception, design; MS, JB data acquisition and analysis MRI is an expensive but effective tool that is being used with increasing frequency in the evaluation of these patients.[6,7]
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