Surgical management of non-palpable breast tumors

Abstract

Due to the improvement of the diagnostic and screening methods for detecting breast cancer (e.g. mammography, breast ultrasonography, MR imaging, FNAC, core biopsy or vacuum-assisted core biopsy), non-palpable breast masses are more and more commonly discovered. Resection guided by a radiologically placed hookwire has gained outstanding importance in the surgical management of these non-palpable cases of breast malformations. In this retrospective study we analyzed the data of 830 patients operated in the past 5 years because of breast malformations. Of those, 36.9% of the breast surgeries were performed because of a non-palpable breast mass. In such cases we performed preoperative histological sampling to support setting up the surgical plan. We managed to get a precise histological diagnosis preoperatively in 78% of our cases. After the introduction of vacuum-assisted core biopsy, operations for histologically indeterminate breast tumors became less common. The surgical resections of breast masses which later prove to be benign are expected to decrease further. Intraoperative radiological analysis of the resection margins helps performing a definitive surgical resection. Specimen mammography and ultrasonography is part of our daily routine. When evaluating the histological samples, the question of resection margins is substantial. In absence of clear resection margins, re-resection is needed. Due to incomplete resection margins 5.5% of the cases re-resection was needed. To avoid unnecessary axillary lymph node dissection in case of early-stage breast cancers, sentinel lymph node biopsy is always carried out.