Pathological Margin Research Articles

Primary Surgery Followed by Selective Chemoradiotherapy Versus Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy Followed by Surgery for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The aim of this work was to determine whether locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) with negative mesorectal fascia (MRF) predicted by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be excluded from preoperative radiation therapy treatment. This multicenter, open-label, non-inferiority, randomized clinical trial enrolled patients with LARC within 6 to 12 cm from the anal verge and with negative MRI-predicted MRF. Participants were randomized to the intervention group (primary surgery, in which the patients with positive pathologic [CRM] circumferential margins were subjected to chemoradiotherapy [CRT] and those with negative CRM underwent adjuvant chemotherapy according to pathologic staging) or the control group (preoperative CRT, in which all patients underwent subsequent surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy). The primary endpoint was 3-year disease-free survival (DFS). A total of 275 patients were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 140) and control (n = 135) groups, in which 33.57% and 28.15% patients were at clinical T4 stage and 85.92% and 80.45% patients were at "bad" or "ugly" risk in the intervention and control groups, respectively. There were 2 patients (1.52%) and 1 patient (0.77%) with positive CRM in the intervention and control groups, respectively (P > .05). The non-adherence rates for the intervention and control groups were 3.6% and 23.7%, respectively. After a median follow-up of 34.6 months (IQR, 18.2-45.7), 43 patients had positive events (28 patients and 15 patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively). There were 6 patients (4.4%) with local recurrence in the intervention group and none in the control group, which led to the termination of the trial. The 3-year DFS rate was 81.82% in the intervention group (95% CI, 78.18%-85.46%) and 85.37% in the control group (95% CI, 81.75%-88.99%), with a difference of -3.55% (95% CI, -3.71% to -3.39%; hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% CI, 0.94-3.30). In the per-protocol data set, the difference between 3-year DFS rates was -5.44% (95% CI, -5.63% to -5.25%; hazard ratio, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.01-4.06). Based on the outcomes of this trial, in patients with LARC and MRI-negative MRF, primary surgery could negatively influence their DFS rates. Therefore, primary surgery was an inferior strategy compared with preoperative CRT followed by surgery and cannot be recommended for patients with LARC.

Early stage adrenocortical carcinoma-what contributes to poor prognosis after adrenalectomy? A retrospective cohort study.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare primary carcinoma originating in the adrenal gland with a poor prognosis and a high recurrence rate. This study evaluated the risk factors associated with recurrence in patients with early stage ACC after curative surgical resection. The present study retrospectively evaluated the risk factors for recurrence in 38 patients with stages 1 and 2 ACC who underwent curative resection between 1995 and 2020. Recurrence was observed in 21 patients (55.3%), with no significant difference between stages 1 and 2 ACC (P = 0.640). The overall recurrence rate was higher in patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery than open adrenalectomy (71.4% vs. 51.6%). Of the 33 patients with gross tumor margins negative for malignancy, 16 (48.5%) experienced tumor recurrence, and all 5 patients with positive and unknown gross resection margins had recurrence. Recurrences were observed in 14 of the 30 patients (46.7%) negative for pathologic resection margins, 6 of the 7 patients (85.7%) with pathologically indeterminate margins, and 1 patient with pathologically positive margins. The recurrence rates are high even in patients with early stage ACC, being higher in patients who undergo minimally invasive surgery than open adrenalectomy. Obtaining clear resection margins during surgery may reduce tumor recurrence; however, gross or pathologic margin safety was not a secure factor in preventing recurrence. None of the factors analyzed was a definitive predictor of poor prognosis.

Diagnostic Usefulness of p53 Immunostaining in Gastric Cancer and Dysplasia: A Real-world Clinical Experience.

Gastric cancer and its precancerous lesions represent a significant public health concern. A subset of gastric cancers exhibits mutations in the TP53 gene, often accompanying distinctive morphologic alterations. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic efficacy of p53 immunostaining in real-world clinical settings. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 50 cases of gastric tumors and tumor-like lesions, wherein p53 immunostaining played a pivotal diagnostic role. The staining pattern of p53 was examined in conjunction with clinicopathologic parameters. Mutant p53 staining pattern demonstrated a significant association with high-grade nuclear atypia (p<0.001), high-grade dysplasia, and tubular adenocarcinoma (p<0.001), as well as microsatellite instability status (p=0.034). Furthermore, the diagnostic utility of p53 immunostaining was evident in scenarios where: 1) biopsy specimens contained few tumor cells, 2) pathologic evaluation of resection margins was limited by cauterization artifacts, and 3) distinction between low-grade and high-grade gastric dysplasia was challenging. P53 immunostaining can be helpful for the diagnosis of gastric tumor and tumor-like lesions, and accurate pathologic margin evaluation, particularly in lesions demonstrating intestinal-type differentiation and some degree of nuclear atypia.

Breast Ductal Carcinoma In Situ with Microinvasion: Clinicopathological Characteristics, Prognosis and Role of Surgery in Treatment

Background: Advances in screening have led to almost half of the reduction in breast cancer mortality. Precocious diagnosis increasingly needs clinicians to better treat early breast diseases, such as DCIS, or DCIS with microinvasion (DCIS-Mi). Due to the increasing prevalence of DCIS-Mi. In this review, we will focus on study this entity and define current treatment options, especially the role of surgical approach in the overall treatment of DCIS-Mi to explore the current and future optimal management of DCIS-Mi. Methods: A PubMed search for relevant articles was performed using the following keywords by MeSH and free-word: breast cancer, DCIS, DCIS‐Mi, microinvasion, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis and treatment. Results: Until 1997, the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) defined DCIS-Mi as a tumor with an area of invasion less than or equal to 1 mm as T1mic in the TNM staging system. Histologically, two distinct types of DCIS-MI was classified. Comedocarcinoma subtype of DCIS, the larger the size of a tumor’s DCIS component and multicentric foci of DCIS are more commonly associated with microinvasion. The roles of surgery in treatment of DCIS-Mi includes breast-conserving surgery, mastectomy, and surgical evaluation of the axilla. Current guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommend treating DCIS-Mi following surgery guidelines for DCIS. The overall prognosis of DCIS-Mi is excellent with survival at 5 years. Conclusions: An supposition of current available data indicates no survival benefit to an individual undergoing mastectomy versus lumpectomy and radiation (breast-conserving surgery). Whenever possible, breast-conserving therapy is the treatment of the first choice of DCIS-Mi. Among those unfavorable factors, the key factor is the ability to achieve negative final pathologic margins. Surgical assessment of the axilla, such as sentinel lymph node biopsy on all DCIS-Mi is recommended.

Surgical Margin of Resected Colorectal Liver Metastases: How Accurate Is Surgeon Prediction?

The aim of this study was to describe the surgeon's ability to accurately predict the margin following resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs). The decision to resect CRLM is based on the surgeon's ability to predict tumor-free resection margins. However, to date, no study has evaluated the accuracy of surgeon margin prediction. In this single-institution prospective study, the operating attending and fellow independently completed a preoperative and postoperative questionnaire describing their expected resection margin in 100 consecutive cases (200 assessments) of CRLM resections. In cases with multiple metastases, the closest margin was assessed as the margin of interest for the primary outcome. Surgeon assessments were compared with the gold-standard histopathologic assessment. After excluding aborted cases, 190 preoperative and 190 postoperative assessments from 95 cases were included in the analysis. The pathologic margin was noted to be wide (≥1cm), 1mm to 1cm, narrow (<1mm), and positive in 28 (29.5%), 55 (57.9%), 5 (5.3%), and 7 (7.4%) cases, respectively. The 88 cases with negative margins were all predicted to be negative. None of the cases with positive margins were predicted to be positive. Ninety-one (48%) preoperative and 104 (55%) postoperative predictions were accurate. The sensitivity of predicting a margin <1mm was 8.3% preoperatively and 16.7% postoperatively. The positive predictive value for preoperative and postoperative predictions of margin <1mm was 18.2% and 26.7%, respectively. Surgeons are inaccurate at predicting positive and close surgical margins following resection of CRLM. A predicted close margin should not necessarily preclude resection.

The Significance of Histopathological Findings on Clinical Outcomes in Endoscopic Papillectomy with Endocut

This study aimed to evaluate primary clinical outcomes in patients who underwent endoscopic papillectomy (EP) using the Endocut mode while examining the pathological characteristics of the margin of the resected specimen. To this end, 70 patients who underwent Endocut EP were included. Resection margins were classified according to pathological findings as “negative”, “positive”, or “uncertain (difficult pathological evaluation)”. The effect of pathological resection margins on residual tumor recurrence rates was evaluated. The median follow-up was 47 months (range, 22–84). Eleven patients (15.7%) were diagnosed with residual tumors, ten of whom were diagnosed within 6 months after EP. The resection margins were pathologically negative in 27 patients, positive in 15, and uncertain in 28; residual tumors occurred in 5 patients (33.3%) in the positive group, 5 (17.9%) in the uncertain group, and 1 (3.7%) in the negative group. The patient in the negative group had familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Female sex, FAP, and uncertain or positive resection margins were significantly more common in residual patients (p = 0.009, 0.044, and 0.041, respectively). Pathological resection margins can be used to infer the residual tumor incidence, leading to early post-treatment of residual tumors.

Laparoscopic extralevator abdominoperineal resection for low rectal cancer: The myth of reinventing the wheel.

To review oncological outcomes of laparoscopic extralevator abdominoperineal excision (LAP-ELAPE) for low rectal cancer.In locally advanced low rectal cancer, ELAPE which is en-bloc resection of levator muscles along with the tumor in a prone position has significantly decreased the rate of having either positive circumferential resection margin (CRM) or tumor perforation. The aim of the study was to determine the oncological outcomes of laparoscopic extralevator abdominoperineal excision (LAP-ELAPE) for low rectal cancer. This retrospective study was performed at Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital and Research Centre Lahore. Patients who underwent ELAPE for low rectal and anal cancer from January 2014 to December 2019 were selected. Data was collected using an electronic database through a hospital information system. A total of 82 patients were included in the study having a median age of 39 years. Clinically preoperative tumor sizes were T2:2, T3:65, T4:15. Neo-adjuvant chemo radiotherapy was administered to 79 (96.3%) patients. Pathologically tumor sizes were T0:12, T2:15, T3:50, T4:5 with 79.2% (n=65) R0 resections. The mean operative time was 340.36±64.51 minutes and the mean blood loss was 99 milliliters. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 6.58±4.64 days. Seventeen (20.7%) cases had pathological circumferential resection margins positive (pCRM<1mm). However, tumor perforation was found in 8(9.8%) patients. Ninety days mortality was none while 36 patients experienced recurrence (local: 23, distant: 30, local + distant 17). The median survival time was 53.00±2.69 months. For locally advanced low rectal cancer, ELAPE has evolved as a safe oncological procedure with acceptable outcomes.

Predicting recurrence in oral cavity cancers: a review of 116 patients with buccal mucosa carcinoma in northwestern India.

Oral cavity cancers, the second most common type in India, are responsible for 10% of the overall cancer burden. With a recurrence rate of 30% to 40% and a 5-year survival rate of 50%, these malignancies account for substantial morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in treatment modalities, survival rates following treatment completion have not improved significantly. The present study aimed to establish specific epidemiological and pathological factors responsible for recurrence after treatment completion in buccal mucosa cancers. A retrospective analysis of the data of 116 patients treated for biopsy-proven cancers of the buccal mucosa was undertaken 1 year after treatment completion. Factors such as age, sex, education, lymphovascular invasion, extranodal extension (ENE), perineural invasion, depth of invasion, and pathological margin status were compared between patients who presented with recurrence and those who did not. Statistical significance was set at p< 0.05. Of the 116 patients, 40 (34.5%) developed a recurrent disease within 1 year. The mean age of the study population was 43.3 years, and males constituted 91.4% of the included patients. Ipsilateral buccal mucosa was the commonest site of disease recurrence. Neck node metastasis, ENE, and margins of resection < 5 mm were significantly related to the recurrence of disease. However, surprisingly, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and depth of invasion > 10 mm did not show statistically significant associations. Neck node metastasis, ENE, and margins of resection < 5 mm were the histopathological factors associated with recurrence in cancers of the buccal mucosa.

Clinical Experience with Autofluorescence Guided Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Surgery.

In our study, the effect of the use of autofluorescence (Visually Enhanced Lesion Scope-VELscope) on increasing the success rate of surgical treatment in oral squamous carcinoma (OSCC) was investigated. Our hypothesis was tested on a group of 122 patients suffering from OSCC, randomized into a study and a control group enrolled in our study after meeting the inclusion criteria. The preoperative checkup via VELscope, accompanied by the marking of the range of a loss of fluorescence in the study group, was performed before the surgery. We developed a unique mucosal tattoo marking technique for this purpose. The histopathological results after surgical treatment, i.e., the margin status, were then compared. In the study group, we achieved pathological free margin (pFM) in 55 patients, pathological close margin (pCM) in 6 cases, and we encountered no cases of pathological positive margin (pPM) in the mucosal layer. In comparison, the control group results revealed pPM in 7 cases, pCM in 14 cases, and pFM in 40 of all cases in the mucosal layer. This study demonstrated that preoperative autofluorescence assessment of the mucosal surroundings of OSCC increased the ability to achieve pFM resection 4.8 times in terms of lateral margins.

The Effect of Package Time on Locally Advanced Oral Cavity Cancer Outcomes

Oral cavity cancer (OCC) with adverse pathologic features is treated with adjuvant radiation (RT) following definitive surgical resection. The 5-year overall survival (OS) in locally advanced OCC patients receiving adjuvant RT has remained stagnant at 60% for over 30 years. Although pathologic risk factors are well-established, the effect of clinical variables such as treatment package time (TPT) in the modern era of radiation and systemic agents is unclear. Examining a large, homogenous cohort of OCC patients, we hypothesized that TPT can predict OS and event free survival (EFS). A retrospective review of 359 adult patients with OCC treated with surgery and adjuvant RT with or without concurrent chemotherapy from 2012-2022 was performed at a single, high-volume center. Those without definitive surgery, treated to <50 Gy, or with a history of prior RT were excluded. TPT was defined as time from surgery to completion of RT. Other variables considered were sex, race, smoking status, AJCC 8 pathologic stage, perineural invasion (PNI), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), margin positivity, extranodal extension (ENE), and hospitalization between surgery and RT. Log rank tests were performed for OS and EFS where TPT was dichotomized into short (<97.5 days) and long (>97.5 days) groups based on the median TPT of the cohort. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate (MVA) cox regression analyses were performed for OS and EFS. A total of 234 patients met inclusion criteria. Median OS was 81.6 months. Median EFS was 50.0 months. Median OS was 51.1 months in the longer TPT group and was not reached in the shorter TPT group. Median EFS was greater with shorter TPT (72.6 vs 31.3 months). The longer TPT group had worse OS and EFS probabilities than the shorter TPT group (p = 0.006 and p = 0.059, respectively). On UVA, factors significantly associated with OS were TPT (p = 0.006), former/current smoker status (p = 0.003 and p = 0.011, respectively), pathologic stage IV (p<0.001), positive PNI (p<0.001) or LVI (p = 0.005), and ENE (p<0.001). On MVA for OS, shorter TPT (p = 0.026), former smoker status (p = 0.009), pathologic stage IV (p = 0.026), positive PNI (p = 0.009), and ENE (p = 0.05), remained significant. On UVA, factors significantly associated with EFS were former/current smoker status (p = 0.01/p = 0.04), pathologic stage IV (p<0.001), pT1/T2 (p = 0.018), positive PNI (p = 0.011) or ENE (p<0.001), and concurrent chemotherapy (p = 0.001). On MVA, former smoker status (p = 0.035) and positive PNI (p = 0.018) remained significant. Notably, of the 130 patients requiring hospitalization between surgery and radiation, 101 (78%) were prior/current smokers. In this large cohort of locally advanced OCC patients, TPT <97.5 days is associated with improved OS and EFS. Smoking history should be further explored for its potential contribution to treatment delay. Multidisciplinary coordination should be encouraged to minimize TPT.

Efficacy of Single-Fraction Postoperative Radiotherapy in Resected, Early-Stage Merkel Cell Carcinoma with High-Risk Features

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer with a high recurrence risk. Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) improves the local recurrence rate (LRR) in early-stage MCC with risk factors per NCCN guidelines: primary tumor size > 1cm, head/neck (HN) location, immunosuppression, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and positive/narrow surgical margins. Conventionally fractionated PORT (C-PORT, ∼50 Gy in 25 fractions) is often recommended for localized MCC with these risk factors; however, some institutions elect observation. Prior studies suggest LRR of ∼20% for stage I/II MCC with high-risk features managed with surgery alone. C-PORT significantly decreases LRR but may cause significant morbidity and financial toxicity. We have previously reported that single fraction (SF)-PORT with 8 Gy achieves high rates of in-field control both in the metastatic and adjuvant settings with minimal morbidity. Here, we present updated long-term outcomes of SF-PORT, offered as an alternative to C-PORT with the hypothesis that it improves LRR relative to observation while minimizing toxicity, for resected stage I/II MCC. A retrospective, single-institution analysis was completed for stage I/II MCC patients receiving SF-PORT following surgical management. The primary objective was estimating the LRR, defined as recurrence within 2 cm of the primary tumor. Patients with resected, stage I/II MCC with at least one high-risk feature were offered C-PORT as standard of care or SF-PORT as an alternative. Forty-six patients (median age: 74.5; range 50-96 years) received SF-PORT to the primary tumor site at a median 44 days after wide local excision (85%), shave/excisional biopsy (13%), or Mohs (2%). Fifty-four percent of patients had 1 high-risk feature, 35% had 2, and 11% had 3 or more. HN (74%) was the most common primary site, 26% of tumors were > 1cm, 26% were LVI+, and 15% of patients were immunosuppressed (pathological margin status was often not available). There were no local recurrences (LRR = 0%) at a median follow-up time of 2.3 years. In-field locoregional control was 96% (44/46 patients) with 2 in-field, regional recurrences observed in draining nodal basins of HN primary lesions. There were 2 out-of-field regional nodal recurrences (1 patient with IMS; neither received elective nodal SFRT). Of 9 patients who received elective nodal SF-PORT, 8 did not have a successful sentinel lymph node biopsy. No MCC-specific deaths were observed. The most common side effect was in-field, grade 1 erythema (13%); no side effects > grade 1 (CTCAE v5) were noted. SF-PORT is associated with a very low LRR which has proven durable with long-term follow-up. The LRR for SF-PORT appears lower than historical controls treated with surgery alone for patients with resected, stage I/II MCC with high-risk features.

A quantitative comparison of bone resection margin distances in virtual surgical planning versus histopathology: a prospective study.

Positive bone margins have been shown to be associated with worse locoregional control and survival performance in oral oncology patients. With the application of computer-assisted surgery and patient-specific surgical guides, the authors can accurately execute the preoperative osteotomy plan. However, how well the authors can predict the margin distance in the final histopathology with a preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan, the factors associated with it, and how much leeway CT should spare when designing the osteotomy planes during virtual surgical planning (VSP) remain to be investigated. Patients from January 2021 to December 2022 with benign or malignant jaw tumors and with signs of bone marrow involvement in the preoperative CT scan in our center were prospectively recruited to the study. VSP and measurement of the closest margin distance in the CT scan were performed by the single team of surgeons. The resection specimen was processed, and the margin distances were measured by a dedicated senior pathologist with the knowledge of orientation of the osteotomy planes. A total of 35 patients were recruited, with 21 malignant and 14 benign cases. Sixty-eight bone margins were quantitatively analyzed. No significant difference in margin distances measured from the CT scan and final histopathology was detected ( P =0.19), and there was a strong correlation between the two (r s =0.74, P <0.01). A considerable amount of variance was detected in the level of discrepancy between margin distances measured in the CT scan and final histopathology (overall SD=6.26 mm, malignancy SD=7.44 mm, benign SD=4.40 mm). No significant correlation existed between the two margin distances when only maxilla tumor margins were assessed ( P =0.16). The bone margin distance in VSP is reliably correlated to the final pathological margin distance. A leeway distance of 15mm and 9mm should be considered when designing the osteotomy planes for malignancy and benign cases, respectively. Extra attention should be paid to maxilla cases when predetermining the osteotomy planes during VSP.

Comparing pentafecta outcomes between nerve sparing and non nerve sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in a propensity score-matched study

Pentafecta (continence, potency, cancer control, free surgical margins, and no complications) is an important outcome of prostatectomy. Our objective was to assess the pentafecta achievement between nerve-spring and non-nerve-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in a large single-center cohort. The study included 1674 patients treated with RARP between August 2009 and November 2022 to assess the clinical outcomes. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of RARP for pentafecta achievement, and 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed between the nerve-sparing and non-nerve-sparing to test the validity of the results. Pentafecta definition included continence, which was defined as the use of zero pads; potency, which was defined as the ability to achieve and maintain satisfactory erections or ones firm enough for sexual activity and sexual intercourse. The biochemical recurrence rate was defined as two consecutive PSA levels > 0.2 ng/mL after RARP; 90-day Clavien–Dindo complications ≤ 3a; and a negative surgical pathologic margin. The median follow-up period was 61.3 months (IQR 6–159 months). A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that pentafecta achievement was significantly associated with nerve-sparing (NS) approach (1188 patients) (OR 4.16; 95% CI 2.51–6.9), p < 0.001), unilateral nerve preservation (983 patients) (OR 3.83; 95% CI 2.31–6.37, p < 0.001) and bilateral nerve preservation (205 patients) (OR 7.43; 95% CI 4.14–13.36, p < 0.001). After propensity matching, pentafecta achievement rates in the NS (476 patients) and non-NS (476 patients) groups were 72 (15.1%) and 19 (4%), respectively. (p < 0.001). NS in RARP offers a superior advantage in pentafecta achievement compared with non-NS RARP. This validation study provides the pentafecta outcome after RARP associated with nerve-sparing in clinical practice.

Postchemoradiation magnetic resonance imaging circumferential resection margin predicts treatment failure after multidisciplinary directed sphincter preservation in low rectal cancer.

This study aimed to review the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of patients with low rectal cancer (LRC) undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and investigate the risk factors for treatment failure after sphincter preserving surgery following preoperative CRT based on multidisciplinary approach. Patients who underwent standard CRT and sphincter preserving radical surgery for LRC between January 2000 and December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Sphincter preservation failure (SPF) was defined as any one of the following: positive pathologic circumferential resection margin, local recurrence, failure to repair ileostomy, or permanent stoma formation due to anastomotic complications. Among the 191 patients, there were no overall significant differences between sphincter preservation success (n = 161) and SPF (n = 30) groups. SPF group showed a higher MRI circumferential resection margins (mrCRM) positive rate before and after CRT (before CRT: 33.3% vs. 16.1%, p = 0.027; after CRT: 23.3% vs. 6.2%, p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis showed that only mrCRM after CRT was associated with SPF (hazard ratio = 4.596, p = 0.005). SPF group showed worse 5-year cancer-specific survival (51% vs. 92.7%, p < 0.001). MRI-based assessment of the tumor after CRT plays a crucial role in predicting the success and feasibility of sphincter preservation as well as oncological outcomes in patients with LRC.

Predicting Positive Radial Margin on Restaging MRI of Patients with Low Rectal Cancer: Can We Do Better?

Objective The aim of this study was to characterize the tissue involving the margin and study if this information will affect margin prediction on restaging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in low rectal adenocarcinoma (LRC) patients treated with neoadjuvant long-course chemoradiotherapy (LCCRT). Methods In this retrospective study of nonmetastatic LRC (distal margin <5 cm from the anal verge) treated with LCCRT followed by surgery, a radiologist blinded to outcome reread the restaging MRI and documented if the radial margin was involved by tumor, fibrosis, or mucin reaction using T2 high-resolution (HR) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The diagnostic performance of tumor-involving margin on restaging MRI was assessed using surgical histopathology as a reference. Interobserver agreement between three independent radiologists was assessed in a subset. Results We included 133 patients (80 males and 53 females) with a mean (range) age of 44.7 (21-86) years and 82% of them had well or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Baseline MRI showed T3 ( n = 58) or T4 ( n = 60) disease in 89% of the patients. The pathological margin was positive in 21% ( n = 28) cases. In restaging MRI, the circumferential resection margin (CRM) ≤1 mm in 75.1% ( n = 100) cases and MRI predicted tumor, fibrosis, and mucin reaction at the margin in 60, 34, and 6%, respectively, and histopathology showed tumor cells in 33, 14.7, and 16.6% of them, respectively. LRC with tumor-involving margin and bad response (MR tumor regression grade [mr-TRG] 3-5) on restaging MRI had fourfold increased risk of positive pathological circumferential resection margin (pCRM). There was moderate and fair inter-reader agreement for the tissue type involving the CRM ( κ = 0.471) and mr-TRG ( κ = 0.266), p < 0.05. The use of both distance criteria and tumor-involving margins improved the diagnostic accuracy for margin prediction from 39 to 66% on restaging MRI. Conclusions Margin prediction on restaging MRI can be improved by characterizing the tissue type involving the margin in low rectal cancer patients. The inter-reader agreement was moderate for determining the tissue type.

Improved Rate of Negative Margins for Inflammatory Breast Cancer Using Intraoperative Frozen Section Analysis.

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer with a poor survival rate. Modified radical mastectomy (MRM) with negative pathologic margins is critical for improved survival. We aim to study the potential benefit of intraoperative frozen section analysis (FSA) to improve disease-free margins. This prospective, monocentric study included 19 patients who underwent MRM for IBC. For each patient, a 2 mm continuous skin edge was sent for FSA to guide further resection. The rate of tumor-free margins and the concurrence between the FSA and permanent pathological results were analyzed. Overall, 15 of the 19 patients achieved negative margins, including four patients who would have had positive margins without FSA. The odds ratio of achieving a negative final margin with FSA was infinity (p = 0.031), and there was a strong agreement between the FSA and permanent pathological results (Kappa-0.83; p < 0.0001). The FSA technique decreased the number of positive margins in IBC patients undergoing MRM, thereby potentially reducing the need for re-operation, allowing immediate wound closure, and preventing delays in the administration of adjuvant radiation therapy. More extensive trials are warranted to establish the use of intraoperative FSA in IBC treatment.

Tumor-Free Resection Margin Distance in the Surgical Treatment of Node-Negative Squamous Cell Cancer of the Vulva Has No Impact on Survival: Analysis of a Large Patient Cohort in a Tertiary Care Center.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pathological tumor-free margin distance on survival in SCC patients treated with surgery alone. This retrospective study included 128 patients with node-negative disease that received no adjuvant treatment. Disease-free and overall survival were analyzed according to pathological tumor-free margin distance. The patients were subclassified into three resection margin category groups: "1 to 3 mm" (n = 42), ">3 to 8 mm" (n = 47) or ">8 mm" (n = 39). Thirty-nine of the 128 patients (30.5%) developed recurrent disease. Median follow-up for disease-free survival (DFS) was 6.49 years (95% CI 5.16 years; 7.62 years), and median follow-up for overall survival (OS) was 6.29 years (95% CI 5.45 years; 7.33 years). The 5-year DFS rate was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.62-0.79), and the 5-year OS rate was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.71-0.87). Regarding the survival outcome, there were no independent significant differences in either disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.300) or overall survival (p = 1.000) among patients within the three tumor-free resection margin categories. Multivariate analyses did not show any statistically significant association between tumor-free resection margin distance and recurrent disease or death, either when analyzed as a categorical variable or when analyzed as a continuous variable. The present study did not show a significant impact of pathological tumor-free resection margin distance following surgery in patients with node-negative SCC of the vulva (that did not receive adjuvant treatment) on disease-free and overall survival.

Evaluation of correspondence between clinical and pathological margins in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Microscopically, oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) spreads more than the gross tumor. Thus it is recommended to resect the tumor with a proper safe margin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correspondence between clinical and histopathological margins in oral SCC.&#x0D; Methods: Samples were collected from patients diagnosed as oral SCC and referred to Iran Cancer Institute on 2015. All margins of tumors were determined by a marker and then the tumors were resected with 1cm safe margin. The superior, inferior, left and right borders were marked and examined microscopically. The lowest distance between tumor cells and border of resected tissue was considered as pathological margin. The cases with pathological margin less or more than 5 millimeters were classified as close and free margin group, respectively.&#x0D; Results: forty-four specimens (20 females and 24 males), definitely diagnosed as SCC, were examined. The mean age was 61 years old. 19 cases (43.2%) were in the mandible; 23 cases (52.3%) in the tongue and 2 cases (4.5%) in the maxilla. 16 cases (38.4%) were free margin and 28 cases (63.6%) were close margin and the mean pathological margin was 3.52mm.&#x0D; Conclusion: for some cases, especially SCCs of the mandible, 1-centimeter margin is not adequate to achieve free margins, thus evaluating tumor location, size and stage for more resection seems worthwhile and advisable and can decrease the risk of relapse after resection.

Analysis of Specimen Mammography with Artificial Intelligence to Predict Margin Status.

Intraoperative specimen mammography is a valuable tool in breast cancer surgery, providing immediate assessment of margins for a resected tumor. However, the accuracy of specimen mammography in detecting microscopic margin positivity is low. We sought to develop an artificial intelligence model to predict the pathologic margin status of resected breast tumors using specimen mammography. A dataset of specimen mammography images matched with pathologic margin status was collected from our institution from 2017 to 2020. The dataset was randomly split into training, validation, and test sets. Specimen mammography models pretrained on radiologic images were developed and compared with models pretrained on nonmedical images. Model performance was assessed using sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). The dataset included 821 images, and 53% had positive margins. For three out of four model architectures tested, models pretrained on radiologic images outperformed nonmedical models. The highest performing model, InceptionV3, showed sensitivity of 84%, specificity of 42%, and AUROC of 0.71. Model performance was better among patients with invasive cancers, less dense breasts, and non-white race. This study developed and internally validated artificial intelligence models that predict pathologic margins status for partial mastectomy from specimen mammograms. The models' accuracy compares favorably with published literature on surgeon and radiologist interpretation of specimen mammography. With further development, these models could more precisely guide the extent of resection, potentially improving cosmesis and reducing reoperations.

Effectiveness of Carbon Localization for Invasive Breast Cancer: An Institutional Experience.

The final oncological and aesthetic results of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) are influenced by the precise localization of breast cancer (BC) tumors and by the quality of the intraoperative margin assessment technique. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the carbon localization (CL) technique by determining the success rate of BC identification and the proportion of adequate complete resection of BC lesions. We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of patients treated with primary BCS for invasive BC who underwent CL of their BC lesion at the Jules Bordet Institute between January 2015 and December 2017. Descriptive statistics with categorical and continuous variables were used. The success rate of tumor identification and the rate of adequate excision were calculated using the test of percentages for independent dichotomous data. This study included 542 patients with 564 nonpalpable BC lesions. The median pathological tumor size was 12 mm. Of these, 460 were invasive ductal carcinomas. Most of the tumors were of the luminal subtype. CL was performed using ultrasound guidance in 98.5% of cases. The median delay between CL and surgery was 5 days, with 46% of the patients having CL one day before surgery. The lumpectomy weighed 38 g on average, with a median diameter of the surgical sample at 6 cm and a median volume of 44 cm3 (6-369). One-stage complete resection was successfully performed in 93.4% of cases. In 36% of cases, an intraoperative re-excision was performed, based on intraoperative macroscopic pathological margin evaluation. The tumor was identified in 98.9% of cases in the breast surgical specimen. This study demonstrated high success rates for BC tumor identification (99%) and one-stage complete resection (93.4%) after BCS and CL. These results show that CL is an effective, simple, and inexpensive localization technique for successful excision of BC lesions during BCS.