Positive predictive value of axillary lymph node cortical thickness and nodal, clinical, and tumor characteristics in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients

PURPOSE

Axillary lymph nodes (LNs) with cortical thickness > 3 mm have a higher likelihood of malignancy. To examine the positive predictive value (PPV) of axillary LN cortical thickness in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, and nodal, clinical, and tumor characteristics associated with axillary LN metastasis.

METHODS

Retrospective review of axillary LN fine needle aspirations (FNAs) performed 1/1/2018-12/31/2019 included 135 axillary FNAs in 134 patients who underwent axillary surgery. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, histopathology, and imaging features were obtained from medical records. Hypothesis testing was performed to identify predictors of axillary LN metastasis.

RESULTS

Cytology was positive in 72/135 (53.3%), negative in 61/135 (45.2%), and non-diagnostic in 2/135 (1.5%). At surgery, histopathology was positive in 84 (62.2%) and negative in 51 (37.8%). LN cortices were thicker in metastatic compared to negative nodes (p < 0.0001). PPV of axillary LNs with cortical thickness ≥ 3 mm, ≥ 3.5 mm, ≥ 4 mm and, ≥ 4.25 mm was 0.62 [95% CI 0.53, 0.70], 0.63 [0.54, 0.72], 0.67 [0.57, 0.76] , and 0.74 [0.64, 0.83], respectively. At multivariable analysis, abnormal hilum (OR = 3.44, p = 0.016) and diffuse cortical thickening (OR = 2.86, p = 0.038) were associated with nodal metastasis.

CONCLUSION

In newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, increasing axillary LN cortical thickness, abnormal fatty hilum, and diffuse cortical thickening are associated with nodal metastasis. PPV of axillary LN cortical thickness ≥ 3 mm and ≥ 3.5 mm is similar but increases for cortical thickness ≥ 4 mm. FNA of axillary LNs with cortex < 4 mm may be unnecessary for some patients undergoing sentinel LN biopsy.

Benign Phyllodes Tumor of Axillary Tail USG and Elastography Evaluation with Histopathological Correlation

The axillary tail, also known as spencer's tail or axillary process, is a continuation of tissue from the upper lateral quadrant of the breast that travels into the axilla through a foramen of Langer in the deep fascia. Axillary inflammation or lump is a typical clinical symptom that necessitates imaging evaluation. Since the axilla consists of lymph nodes as well as nonlymphatic tissue such as accessory breast tissue, skin, fat, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels, it has a wide variety of differential diagnoses. The radiologists should be well acquainted with axillary anatomy and imaging aspects of various axillary lesions. Here, we present a 35-year-old female with a right axillary lump which was suggestive of benign tumor on ultrasonography and was proven to be benign phyllodes tumor on histopathology.

Radiomics model of diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background signal suppression (DWIBS) for predicting axillary lymph node status in breast cancer

BACKGROUND

In breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, non-invasive prediction of axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis can help avoid complications related to sentinel lymph node biopsy.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to develop and evaluate machine learning models using radiomics features extracted from diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background signal suppression (DWIBS) examination for predicting the ALN status.

METHODS

A total of 100 patients with histologically proven, invasive, clinically N0 breast cancer who underwent DWIBS examination consisting of short tau inversion recovery (STIR) and DWIBS sequences before surgery were enrolled. Radiomic features were calculated using segmented primary lesions in DWIBS and STIR sequences and were divided into training (n = 75) and test (n = 25) datasets based on the examination date. Using the training dataset, optimal feature selection was performed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm, and the logistic regression model and support vector machine (SVM) classifier model were constructed with DWIBS, STIR, or a combination of DWIBS and STIR sequences to predict ALN status. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess the prediction performance of radiomics models.

RESULTS

For the test dataset, the logistic regression model using DWIBS, STIR, and a combination of both sequences yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.765 (95% confidence interval: 0.548-0.982), 0.801 (0.597-1.000), and 0.779 (0.567-0.992), respectively, whereas the SVM classifier model using DWIBS, STIR, and a combination of both sequences yielded an AUC of 0.765 (0.548-0.982), 0.757 (0.538-0.977), and 0.779 (0.567-0.992), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of machine learning models incorporating with the quantitative radiomic features derived from the DWIBS and STIR sequences can potentially predict ALN status.

Can computed tomography predict nodal metastasis in breast cancer patients?

Background

Axillary lymph node metastasis is considered one of the main prognostic factors clinically used for the evaluation of breast cancer patient. Also, an accurate diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis has a significant effect on the tumor staging and treatment planning. Ultrasonography is a noninvasive, available imaging modality that is capable of giving a real-time evaluation of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer cases. On the other hand, multi-detector-row computed tomography is increasingly preferred by clinicians to preoperatively evaluate regional lymph node status in many cancers. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of computed tomography against ultrasound in detecting axillary lymph node status in breast cancer patients.

Results

One hundred and fifty breast cancer patients were included in this prospective study. According to the final pathological results, 79/150 (52.7%) lymph nodes were metastatic, while 71/150 (47.3%) lymph nodes were benign with no evidence of metastases. Ultrasound examination has achieved a sensitivity of 76.4% and a specificity of 60.8% with overall diagnostic accuracy of 68.7%. Computed tomography (CT) examination has achieved a much higher sensitivity of 98.6%, a much lower specificity of 35.4%, and overall diagnostic accuracy of 65.3%. In our study, CT examination was superior on ultrasound in the determination of the level of lymph node affection, and this may be attributed to the dependency of ultrasound examination on the operator’s experience.

Conclusions

CT is not routinely used in the assessment of nodal stage. However, if used in proper clinical setting, it may increase our confidence in excluding nodal metastasis owing to its high sensitivity. Despite its low specificity, it may act as road map for the surgeon, providing the ability to assess all groups of lymph nodes as well as the number of the suspicious lymph nodes.

Predicting the risk of axillary lymph node metastasis in early breast cancer patients based on ultrasonographic-clinicopathologic features and the use of nomograms: a prospective single-center observational study

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to establish two preoperative nomograms to evaluate the risk for axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis in early breast cancer patients based on ultrasonographic-clinicopathologic features.

METHODS

We prospectively evaluated 593 consecutive female participants who were diagnosed with cT_1-3N_0-1M₀ breast cancer between March 2018 and May 2019 at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital. The participants were randomly classified into training and validation sets in a 4:1 ratio for the development and validation of the nomograms, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of ALN status. We developed Nomogram A and Nomogram B to predict ALN metastasis (presence vs. absence) and the number of metastatic ALNs (≤ 2 vs. > 2), respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 528 participants were evaluated in the final analyses. Multivariable analysis revealed that the number of suspicious lymph nodes, long axis, short-to-long axis ratio, cortical thickness, tumor location, and histological grade were independent predictors of ALN status. The AUCs of nomogram A in the training and validation groups were 0.83 and 0.78, respectively. The AUCs of nomogram B in the training and validation groups were 0.87 and 0.87, respectively. Both nomograms were well-calibrated.

CONCLUSION

We developed two preoperative nomograms that can be used to predict ALN metastasis (presence vs. absence) and the number of metastatic ALNs (≤ 2 vs. > 2) in early breast cancer patients. Both nomograms are useful tools that will help clinicians predict the risk of ALN metastasis and facilitate therapy decision-making about axillary surgery.

KEY POINTS

• We developed two preoperative nomograms to predict axillary lymph node status based on ultrasonographic-clinicopathologic features. • Nomogram A was used to predict axillary lymph node metastasis (presence vs. absence). The AUCs in the training and validation groups were 0.83 and 0.78, respectively. Nomogram B was used to estimate the number of metastatic lymph nodes ( ≤ 2 vs. > 2). The AUCs in the training and validation group were 0.87 and 0.87, respectively. • Our nomograms may help clinicians weigh the risks and benefits of axillary surgery more appropriately.

Development and validation of a pre- and intra-operative scoring system that distinguishes between non-advanced and advanced axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer with positive sentinel lymph nodes: a retrospective study

Background

There are currently no scoring-type predictive models using only easily available pre- and intraoperative data developed for assessment of the risk of advanced axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) in patients with breast cancer with metastatic sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). We aimed to develop and validate a scoring system using only pre- and intraoperative data to distinguish between non-advanced (≤ 3 lymph nodes) and advanced (> 3 lymph nodes) ALNM in patients with breast cancer with metastatic SLNs.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 804 patients with breast cancer (cT1-3cN0) who had metastatic SLNs and had undergone axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). We evaluated the risk factors for advanced ALNM using logistic regression analysis and developed and validated a scoring system for the prediction of ALNM using training (n = 501) and validation (n = 303) cohorts, respectively. The predictive performance was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the curve (AUC), and calibration plots.

Results

Ultrasound findings of multiple suspicious lymph nodes, SLN macrometastasis, the ratio of metastatic SLNs to the total number of SLNs removed, and the number of metastatic SLNs were significant risk factors for advanced ALNM. Clinical tumor size and invasive lobular carcinoma were of borderline significance. The scoring system based on these six variables yielded high AUCs (0.90 [training] and 0.89 [validation]). The calibration plots of frequency compared to the predicted probability showed slopes of 1.00 (training) and 0.85 (validation), with goodness-of-fit for the model. When the cutoff score was set at 4, the negative predictive values (NPVs) of excluding patients with advanced ALNM were 96.8% (training) and 96.9% (validation). The AUC for predicting advanced ALNM using our scoring system was significantly higher than that predicted by a single independent predictor, such as the number of positive SLNs or the proportion of positive SLNs. Similarly, our scoring system also showed good discrimination and calibration ability when the analysis was restricted to patients with one or two SLN metastases.

Conclusion

Our easy-to-use scoring system can exclude advanced ALNM with high NPVs. It may contribute to reducing the risk of undertreatment with adjuvant therapies in patients with metastatic SLNs, even if ALND is omitted.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12957-022-02779-9.

Axillary Lymphadenopathy in the COVID-19 Era: What the Radiologist Needs to Know

Axillary lymphadenopathy caused by the high immunogenicity of messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines presents radiologists with new diagnostic dilemmas in differentiating vaccine-related benign reactive lymphadenopathy from that due to malignant causes. Understanding axillary anatomy and lymphatic drainage is key to radiologic evaluation of the axilla. US plays a critical role in evaluation and classification of axillary lymph nodes on the basis of their cortical and hilar morphology, which allows prediction of metastatic disease. Guidelines for evaluation and management of axillary lymphadenopathy continue to evolve as radiologists gain more experience with axillary lymphadenopathy related to COVID-19 vaccines. General guidelines recommend documenting vaccination dates and laterality and administering all vaccine doses contralateral to the site of primary malignancy whenever applicable. Guidelines also recommend against postponing imaging for urgent clinical indications or for treatment planning in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Although conservative management approaches to axillary lymphadenopathy initially recommended universal short-interval imaging follow-up, updates to those approaches as well as risk-stratified approaches recommend interpreting lymphadenopathy in the context of both vaccination timing and the patient’s overall risk of metastatic disease. Patients with active breast cancer in the pretreatment or peritreatment phase should be evaluated with standard imaging protocols regardless of vaccination status. Tissue sampling and multidisciplinary discussion remain useful in management of complex cases, including increasing lymphadenopathy at follow-up imaging, MRI evaluation of extent of disease, response to neoadjuvant treatment, and potentially confounding cases.

An invited commentary by Weinstein is available online.

^©RSNA, 2022

Accuracy and Limitations of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients with Positive Nodes

Background

Axillary surgical management in patients with node-positive breast cancer at the time of diagnosis converted to negative nodes through neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains unclear. Removal of more than two sentinel nodes (SLNs) in these patients may decrease the false negative rate (FNR) of sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNBs). We aim to analyse the detection rate (DR) and the FNR of SLNB assessment according to the number of SLNs removed.

Methods

A retrospective study was performed from October 2012 to December 2018. Patients with invasive breast cancer who had a clinically node-positive disease at diagnosis and with a complete axillary response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were selected. Patients included underwent SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after NAC. The SLN was considered positive if any residual disease was detected. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the clinicopathologic features and the results of SLNB and ALND. The DR of SLNB was defined as the number of patients with successful identification of SLN. Presence of residual disease in ALND and negative SLN was considered false negative.

Results

A total of 368 patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent surgery after complete NAC were studied. Of them, 85 patients met the eligibility criteria and were enrolled in the study. The mean age at diagnosis was 50.8 years. Systematic lymphadenectomy was performed in all patients, with an average of 10 lymph nodes removed. The DR of SLNB was 92.9%, and the FNR was 19.1. The median number of SLNs removed was 3, and at least, three SLNs were obtained in 42 patients (53.2%). When at least three sentinel nodes were removed, the FNR decreased to 8.7%.

Conclusions

In this cohort, the SLN assessment was associated with an adequate DR and a high FNR. Removing three or more SLNs decreased the FNR from 19.1% to 8.7%. Complementary approaches may be considered for axillary lymph node staging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The study was approved by our institution's ethics committee (Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain) (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCEI:20/0048).

Shedding Light on T2 Bright Masses on Breast MRI: Benign and Malignant Causes

While T2 hyperintense masses on breast MRI are often benign, there are several malignant etiologies that can also be T2 hyperintense. Delineation between benign and malignant entities is important for the accurate interpretation of breast MRI. Common benign T2 hyperintense masses include cysts, fibroadenomas, and lymph nodes. Malignant processes that are T2 hyperintense include metastatic lymph nodes, mucinous breast carcinomas, papillary breast carcinomas, and breast cancers with central necrosis. Evaluation of the morphology and enhancement pattern of a T2 hyperintense mass can help to differentiate a benign process from a malignant one. This educational review will present both benign and malignant causes of T2 hyperintense masses on breast MRI and review common imaging findings and pertinent imaging characteristics that can be used to help accurately identify benign entities while also recognizing suspicious lesions that require additional evaluation.

Management of MRI-Detected Benign Internal Mammary Lymph Nodes

Introduction  In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate benign internal mammary lymph nodes (IMLNs) in terms of frequency, number, size, long axis/short axis (L/S) ratio, intercostal location, presence of fatty hilum, and stability using breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and discuss the findings by reviewing existing literature. Methods  This single-center study consisted of 130 women between the ages of 24 and 76 years, who had at least two breast MRI examinations in our institution, with the latest exam performed between January 1, 2019 and November 1, 2019, were eligible for the study. MRIs of the study group were independently reviewed by two radiologists. Results  IMLN was detected in 31.1% of the 427 MRIs, with a total number of 256 nodes. The most common indication for breast MRI was high-risk screening (66.2%). The median number of nodes per patient was 1 (range: 1-6). The median follow-up time was 19.5 months (range: 6-141 months). None of these benign nodes showed significant interval growth. Mean L/R ratio of the nodes was 1.9. One hundred and four nodes ( n  = 104, 40.6%) had a L/S ratio less than 2 and 43.2% ( n  = 45) of the nodes with a L/S ratio less than 2, had a long axis measuring less than or equal to 3mm. IMLN of patients with breast implants had the largest mean long axis. The fatty hilum was identified in 34.3% ( n  = 68) of the 256 nodes. The size of the lymph nodes where fatty hilum was visualized was significantly larger than the ones where fatty hilum was not visualized ( p  < 0.001). Fatty hilum could be visualized in only 2.7% of the nodes with a long axis smaller than 3 mm. Conclusion  IMLN is a frequent finding on breast MRI. We have shown that benign IMLNs might be large sized in specific cases like patients with breast implants. When small sized (≤3mm), they are more likely to be rounded (L/S ratio <2). The fatty hilum that is a feature of benignity might not be visualized in nodes less than or equal to3mm.

Elaboration and Validation of a Nomogram Based on Axillary Ultrasound and Tumor Clinicopathological Features to Predict Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients With Breast Cancer

Background

This study aimed at constructing a nomogram to predict axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) based on axillary ultrasound and tumor clinicopathological features.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 281 patients with pathologically confirmed breast cancer was performed between January 2015 and March 2018. All patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 197) and a validation cohort (n = 84). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the clinically important predictors of ALNM when developin1 g the nomogram. The area under the curve (AUC), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility of the nomogram.

Results

In univariate and multivariate analyses, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), axillary lymph node (ALN) cortex thickness, and an obliterated ALN fatty hilum were identified as independent predictors and integrated to develop a nomogram for predicting ALNM. The nomogram showed favorable sensitivity for ALNM with AUCs of 0.87 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.81–0.92) and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.73–0.92) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The calibration plots of the nomogram showed good agreement between the nomogram prediction and actual ALNM diagnosis (P > 0.05). Decision curve analysis (DCA) revealed the net benefit of the nomogram.

Conclusions

This study developed a nomogram based on three daily available clinical parameters, with good accuracy and clinical utility, which may help the radiologist in decision-making for ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology/biopsy (US-FNAC/B) according to the nomogram score.

To assess the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of preoperative ultrasound and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology of axillary lymph nodes in patients of breast carcinoma

Background:

Metastasis of the lymph node is one of the most significant prognostic factors for breast cancer (BC).

Aim:

To predict positivity of the lymph node in BC patients with help of USG and USG-guided FNAC and thus to prevent unnecessary morbidity.

Methods:

50 patients of incisional/true cut biopsy-proven BC patients were included. All were subjected to mammography, USG and FNAC of the lump breast. USG-guided FNAC of the axillary lymph node was done in 25 of these patients. These findings were assessed by histological examination following dissection of the axillary lymph node.

Results:

Axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis was present in 42 patients on histopathology; 21 patients suspicious of malignancy on preoperative USG were confirmed by HPE. Out of 88 confirmed lymph nodes evaluated on ultrasonography, 4 were benign, 18 were indeterminate and 66 were suspicious. The most promising features were tumour length/depth ratio of <1.5 in 81, absent fatty hilum in 73% and hypoechoic cortex in 74%. Assessment of axilla with USG had a sensitivity of 50%, a specificity of 100%, a PPV of 100%, an NPV of 27.59% and a diagnostic accuracy of 58%. Preoperative USG-guided FNAC had a sensitivity of 91.67%, a specificity of 100%, a PPV of 100%, an NPV of 33.33% and a diagnostic accuracy of 92%.

Conclusion:

USG can detect non-palpable axillary lymph nodes and FNAC can increase the sensitivity and specificity of this technique, which makes this procedure very promising in detecting axillary metastases in BC patients.

COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Axillary Adenopathy on Breast Imaging: Follow-Up Recommendations and Histopathologic Findings

This study describes 94 patients who presented with suspected COVID-19 vaccine-related axillary adenopathy on breast imaging. All biopsies recommended within 12 weeks of the second vaccine dose were benign. In women not recommended for biopsy, median interval between the second vaccine dose and ultrasound follow-up was 15.9 weeks. Three biopsies yielding malignant diagnoses were recommended 12.0-13.1 weeks after second dose. Lengthening imaging follow-up to 12-16 weeks after the second dose may reduce unnecessary biopsy recommendations.

Imaging Protocol and Criteria for Evaluation of Axillary Lymph Nodes in the NAUTILUS Trial

Axillary ultrasonography (US) is the most commonly used imaging modality for nodal evaluation in patients with breast cancer. No Axillary Surgical Treatment in Clinically Lymph Node-Negative Patients after Ultrasonography (NAUTILUS) is a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial investigating whether sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) can be safely omitted in patients with clinically and sonographically node-negative T1–2 breast cancer treated with breast-conserving therapy. In this trial, a standardized imaging protocol and criteria were established for the evaluation of axillary lymph nodes. Women lacking palpable lymph nodes underwent axillary US to dismiss suspicious nodal involvement. Patients with a round hypoechoic node with effaced hilum or indistinct margins were excluded. Patients with T1 tumors and a single node with a cortical thickness ≥ 3 mm underwent US-guided biopsy. Finally, patients with negative axillary US findings were included. The NAUTILUS axillary US nodal assessment criteria facilitate the proper selection of candidates who can omit SLNB.

Imaging Updates to Breast Cancer Lymph Node Management

Metastatic lymph node involvement in breast cancer is a key determinant of the overall stage of disease and prognosis. Historically, lymph node status was determined by surgery first, with adjuvant treatments determined based on the results of the final surgical pathologic analysis. While this sequence is still applicable in many cases, neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST) is increasingly being administered as the initial treatment. In cases that demonstrate good therapeutic response to drug therapies, NST may permit the option to perform less radical surgeries subsequently. Current breast cancer treatment has become multidisciplinary, with overlapping roles from the different disciplines. As surgery may be postponed, imaging and image-guided lymph node interventions have gained importance as the primary means of lymph node assessment. Imaging enables evaluation of all regional nodal basins, including locations where surgery is not usually performed. By differentiating limited versus extensive nodal involvement, imaging findings help determine whether initial treatment should be surgical or medical. If medical treatment with NST is indicated, imaging is performed to monitor the in vivo nodal response to drug therapy and ultimately to help determine the surgical technique to perform on the basis of the final imaging findings after NST. The authors discuss the imaging features of nodal metastases and the indications and techniques for the various image-guided procedures. The relative usefulness and shortcomings of the various imaging examinations are reviewed to discuss how they can be applied when biopsy results are not available. The role of imaging in the multidisciplinary team approach is emphasized based on past clinical trials of lymph node management and recent evolving knowledge of breast cancer staging. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ^©RSNA, 2021.

Characterizing Occult Nodal Disease Within a Clinically Node-Negative, Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer Population

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant therapy aims to preoperatively downstage breast cancer patients. We evaluated nodal upstaging in clinically node-negative (cN0) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET).

METHODS

cN0 patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy from 2009 to 2018 were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluated rates of nodal upstaging.

RESULTS

A total of 228 cN0 patients with a mean age of 55 years underwent neoadjuvant therapy for Stage I-III invasive carcinoma. Subtypes included ER+/HER2- = 93 (40%), HER2+ = 61 (27%), and triple negative (TNBC) = 74 (33%). Among ER+/HER2- patients, 65 (70%) underwent NET. Overall, 49 patients (21%) were upstaged due to occult nodal disease. Factors associated with higher rates of occult nodal disease included advanced stage on initial presentation (P = .008), larger presenting tumor size (P = .009), low/intermediate tumor grade (P = .025), and ER+/HER2- subtype (P < .001); incidence of occult nodal disease by subtype included: ER+/HER2- = 37%, HER2+ = 15%, TNBC = 8%. Patients experiencing a breast pCR had a significantly lower rate of nodal upstaging compared to those with residual tumor (4% vs. 96%, P < .001). On multivariate analysis, ER+/HER- patients exhibited higher risk of occult nodal disease when compared to patients with HER2+ (odds ratio [OR] = 3.4, 95% CI, 1.2-9.8, P = .003) and TNBC (OR = 5.7, 95% CI, 1.7-19.6, P = .003). Comparing NAC vs. NET in ER+/HER2- patients showed no difference in rates of occult nodal disease (39% vs. 35%, P = .13).

CONCLUSIONS

ER+/HER2- subtype carries higher risk for occult nodal disease after neoadjuvant therapy; NAC versus NET in these patients does not affect nodal upstaging.

Is ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of axillary lymph nodes a viable alternative to sentinel lymph node biopsy?

BACKGROUND

Axillary lymph node (ALN) ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB), a minimally invasive procedure, may be used for the preoperative evaluation of ALN status of breast cancer patients. Despite the relative ease of use and low cost, paucity of comparative studies and variation in the reported sensitivity of FNAB preclude its clinical utility in evaluation of ALNs. This study aims to determine the accuracy of US-FNAB in detecting metastasis in ALN pre-operatively and to assess US-FNAB as a viable alternative to sentinel lymph node (SLN) excision.

METHODS

The 228 consecutive ALN US-FNABs with subsequent histologic follow up performed from 2005 to 2020 in patients with breast carcinoma were retrospectively evaluated. FNAB results were correlated with histologic diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and risk of malignancy of FNAB were calculated.

RESULTS

157/228 (69%) FNABs were concordant with histology, 37/228 (16%) discordant. Positive FNAB findings correlated with primary tumor size, grade, number of metastatic lymph nodes and size of metastases. FNAB with negative diagnosis carried a 22% risk of malignancy, atypical 43%, suspicious 80%, and positive a 100% risk of malignancy (100% positive predictive value [PPV]). The sensitivity and specificity were 78% and 95% respectively; accuracy was 77%. SLN biopsy was avoided in all 82 (36%) cases with positive FNAB results.

CONCLUSION

Negative FNAB result does not exclude metastatic carcinoma. With 100% PPV, full ALN dissection and/or neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be safely planned after a positive FNAB result, avoiding SLN biopsy, reducing management costs and shortening time interval to definitive therapy.

Automated and rapid detection of cancer in suspicious axillary lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer

Preoperative staging of suspicious axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) allows patients to be triaged to ALN dissection or to sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) and cytology of ALN is moderately sensitive but its clinical utility relies heavily on the cytologist's experience. We proposed that the 5-h automated GeneXpert system-based prototype breast cancer detection assay (BCDA) that quantitatively measures DNA methylation in ten tumor-specific gene markers could provide a facile, accurate test for detecting cancer in FNA of enlarged lymph nodes. We validated the assay in ALN-FNA samples from a prospective study of patients (N = 230) undergoing SLNB. In a blinded analysis of 218 evaluable LN-FNAs from 108 malignant and 110 benign LNs by histology, BCDA displayed a sensitivity of 90.7% and specificity of 99.1%, achieving an area under the ROC curve, AUC of 0.958 (95% CI: 0.928-0.989; P < 0.0001). Next, we conducted a study of archival FNAs of ipsilateral palpable LNs (malignant, N = 72, benign, N = 53 by cytology) collected in the outpatient setting prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Using the ROC-threshold determined in the prospective study, compared to cytology, BCDA achieved a sensitivity of 94.4% and a specificity of 92.5% with a ROC-AUC = 0.977 (95% CI: 0.953-1.000; P < 0.0001). Our study shows that the automated assay detects cancer in suspicious lymph nodes with a high level of accuracy within 5 h. This cancer detection assay, scalable for analysis to scores of LN FNAs, could assist in determining eligibility of patients to different treatment regimens.

Staging of the Axilla in Breast Cancer and the Evolving Role of Axillary Ultrasound

Axillary lymph nodes have long been recognized as a route for breast cancer to spread systemically. As a result, staging of the axilla has always played a central role in the treatment of breast cancer. Anatomic staging was believed to be important for two reasons: 1) it predicts prognosis and guides medical therapy, and 2) it is a potential therapy for removal of disease in the axilla. This paradigm has now been called into question. Prognostic information is driven increasingly by tumor biology, and trials such as the ACOSOG Z0011 demonstrates removal of axillary disease is not therapeutic. Staging of the axilla has undergone a dramatic de-escalation; however, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is still an invasive surgery and represents a large economic burden on the healthcare system. In this review, we outline the changing paradigms of axillary staging in breast cancer from emphasis on anatomic staging to tumor biology, and the evolving role of axillary ultrasound, bringing patients less invasive and more personalized therapy.

Is pre-operative axillary ultrasound alone sufficient to determine need for axillary dissection in early breast cancer patients?

Pre-operative status of axillary lymph node (ALN) in early breast cancer is usually initially assessed by pre-operative ultrasound, followed by ultrasound-guided needle biopsy (UNB) confirmation. Patients with positive nodal status will undergo axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), while those with negative nodal status will have sentinel lymph node biopsy. ALND is associated with higher morbidity than Sentinel lymph node biopsy. The objective of this study is to determine if axillary ultrasound alone without UNB is predictive enough to assign patients to ALND and to identify ultrasound features that are significantly associated with pathologically positive ALN.383 newly diagnosed primary breast cancer patients between 2012 and 2014, and who had undergone pre-operative axillary ultrasound in University Malaya Medical Centre with a complete histopathology report of the axillary surgery were retrospectively reviewed. ALN was considered positive if it had any of these features: cortical thickening > 3 mm, loss of fatty hilum, hypoechoic solid node, mass-like appearance, round shape and lymph node size > 5 mm. Post-operative histopathological reports were then analyzed for nodal involvement.The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of pre-operative axillary ultrasound in detecting diseased nodes were 45.5%, 80.7%, and 60.3% respectively. The positive (PPV) and negative predictive values were 76.5% and 51.8%. Round shape, loss of fatty hilum and mass-like appearance had the highest PPVs of 87%, 83% and 81.6% respectively and significant odds ratios (ORs) of 5.22 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52 - 17.86), ORs of 4.77 (95% CI: 2.62 - 8.70) and ORs of 4.26 (95% CI: 2.37 - 7.67) respectively (P-value < .05). Cortical thickness of > 3 mm was identified to have low PPV at 69.1%, ORs of 1.71 (95% CI: 0.86 - 3.41, P = .126).There are features on axillary ultrasound that confer high PPV for axillary involvement i.e. round shape, loss of fatty hilum, and mass-like appearance. In a low resource setting, these features may benefit from ALND without further pre-operative biopsies. However, pre-operative UNB for features with low PPV that is, cortical thickness > 3 mm should be considered to obviate the unnecessary morbidity associated with ALND.

Building a breast cancer detection and treatment platform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by integrating training, service and infrastructure development

Background

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, a global region where opportunities for breast care of any type are extremely limited due to insufficient infrastructure, a paucity of clinical services and vast shortages of trained human resources.

Methods

A team of Zambian and US gynaecologic and breast oncology experts and nurse-specialists made multiple visits (each lasting 5 working days) to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), over a 2-year period. During each of five week-long site visits, hands-on training of local Congolese health providers was conducted during which time they were taught clinical breast exam (CBE), breast and axillary ultrasound, ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy/fine needle aspiration (FNA) and breast surgery. Simultaneous with the training exercises, a new breast care clinic was established and operationalised, and existing surgical theatres were upgraded. All activities were implemented in a private sector health care facility - Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital - in the capital city of Kinshasa.

Results

From April 2017 to August 2020, a total of 5,211 women were identified as having breast abnormalities on CBE. Ages ranged from 26 to 86 years; median age: 42.0 (±14.1) years. Ultrasound abnormalities were noted in 1,420 (27%) clients, of which 516 (36%) met the criteria (indeterminate cystic lesion, solid or suspicious masses) for ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy or FNA. Pathology reports were available for 368 (71%) of the 516 clients who underwent biopsy, of which 164 were malignant and 204 benign. The majority (88%) of the cancers were advanced (TNM stages 3 and 4). Surgical procedures consisted of 183 lumpectomies, 58 modified radical mastectomies and 45 axillary lymph node dissections. Clinical competency for diagnostic and surgical procedures was reached early in the course of the training programme.

Conclusion

By integrating onsite training with simultaneous investments in clinical service and infrastructure development, the barriers to breast cancer diagnosis and treatment were disrupted and a modern breast care service platform was established in a private sector health care facility in the DRC.

Evaluation of Axillary Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

This study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in detecting axillary lymph node metastases in women with breast cancer and atopic dermatitis. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 91 breast cancer patients with a history of atopic dermatitis and compared the dimensions of the lymph nodes on ultrasonographic images of women with and without lymph node metastases diagnosed using histology. Using a major-axis length of ≥5 mm, a short-axis length of ≥5 mm and a cortical thickness of ≥2.3 mm as the criteria for diagnosing axillary lymph node metastases, the specificity was 12.7%, 41.3% and 58.7%, respectively. The low specificity of the ultrasound criteria makes ultrasound unsuitable for diagnosing axillary lymph nodes metastases in breast cancer patients with atopic dermatitis.

Diagnostic accuracy of axillary staging by ultrasound in early breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Axillary ultrasound (AUS) is a standard procedure in the preoperative clinical identification of axillary metastatic lymph node (LN) involvement. It guides decisions about local and systemic therapy for patients with early breast cancer (EBC). But there is only weak evidence on the diagnostic criteria and standard interpretation. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of AUS in the detection and exclusion of LN metastases.

METHODS

In a retrospective single-center study, 611 consecutive EBC patients with 622 axillae underwent AUS +/- core needle biopsy (CNB) plus axillary surgery, i.e. sentinel lymph node biopsy and/or axillary lymph node dissection. For all patients, AUS image documentation of at least the most suspicious LN was saved during the initial diagnostic work-up. The diagnostic outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Youden-index (YI), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) on the basis of the daily routine interpretation and on the basis of previously recommended diagnostic criteria by two blinded examiners.

RESULTS

On the basis of the daily routine interpretation, AUS had a sensitivity (95 % CI) of 53.3 % (46.4-60.1), a specificity (95 % CI) of 93.6 % (90.8-95.8), an accuracy (95 % CI) of 79.7 % (76.4-82.8), a YI (95 % CI) of 0.47 (0.40 - 0.54), and a DOR (95 % CI) of 16.75 (10.37-27.05). Systematic application of previously recommended diagnostic criteria did not improve the diagnostic accuracy of routinely interpreted AUS.

CONCLUSION

AUS performance alone is not sufficient to accurately identify or exclude axillary metastatic disease in unselected patients with EBC.

Development and Validation of a Preoperative Scoring System to Distinguish Between Nonadvanced and Advanced Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients With Early-stage Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

It has been determined that axillary lymph node dissection after the detection of limited axillary lymph node metastasis does not improve the prognosis of patients with breast cancer. Thus, a need exists for less-invasive axillary surgery. However, it remains unclear whether a predictive model based on preoperative data would be sufficient to accurately predict the probability of pN2-N3 (> 3 lymph node metastases). We sought to develop an easy-to-use scoring system to distinguish between pN0-N1 (0-3 lymph node metastases) and pN2-N3 using only preoperative data and validate its predictive performance.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively identified 2687 patients diagnosed with cT1-3cN0-N1 who had undergone surgery in our hospital from 2013 to 2019. We evaluated the risk factors associated with pN2-N3 by logistic regression analysis and developed a scoring system. Predictive performance was assessed by calculating the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC) and was validated using K-fold cross-validation.

RESULTS

We identified 1987 patients with stage pN0, 522 with pN1, and 178 with pN2-N3. Multivariate analysis revealed tumor size, number of suspicious lymph nodes on axillary ultrasound examination, histologic type, histologic grade, and receptor status were significant risk factors for pN2-N3. The AUC value was 0.87, and the mean AUC of the 10-fold cross-validation was 0.88. When the cutoff score was set at 6, the negative predictive value for excluding patients with pN2-N3 was 98.4%.

CONCLUSION

Our easy-to-use scoring system could be useful to preoperatively identify patients at lower risk of pN2-N3 and avoid unnecessary axillary lymph node dissection.

To Evaluate the Accuracy of Axillary Staging Using Ultrasound and Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology (USG-FNAC) in Early Breast Cancer Patients-a Prospective Study

In breast cancer, axillary lymph node involvement directly impacts the patient survival and prognosis. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a procedure of choice for axillary staging in early breast cancer. Currently, management options for axilla management are axillary lymph node dissection and sentinel node biopsy in node positive and in node negative respectively. Accuracy of current clinical methods for evaluating axilla is low. Hence, to select patients for appropriate procedure, ultrasound (USG) combined with fine-needle aspiration cytology (USG-FNAC) using vascular pedicle-based nodal mapping method is emerging as a good tool to address above issues. We evaluated the feasibility of ultrasound and needle aspiration cytology in a tertiary care center. All early breast cancer patients with clinically node-negative axilla and having palpable nodes with less than or equal to 5 cm tumor size in breast were screened by ultrasound of axilla to categorize the nodes as suspicious or non-suspicious based on radiological features and vascular pedicle-based nodal mapping method of axilla. Patients having suspicious nodes underwent ultrasound of axilla and needle aspiration; if found positive, patient underwent axillary node dissection. Sentinel node biopsy (SLNB) performed in all patients found negative on needle aspiration and in all patients having non-suspicious nodes on ultrasound axilla. Final histopathology was taken as gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated for ultrasound (USG) and ultrasound-guided needle aspiration (USG-FNAC). A total of 100 patients were included in which 58 had non-suspicious and 42 had suspicious nodes on ultrasound of axilla. Among suspicious group, 24 were positive on ultrasound-guided needle aspiration cytology and 18 were negative. In non-suspicious nodes, sentinel node biopsy was performed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for ultrasound were 61.5%, 75.6%, 69.5%, and 68.5% respectively. For ultrasound-guided needle aspiration (USG-FNAC), sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value are 83%, 100%, 100%, and 72.6% respectively. The accuracy of ultrasound (USG) and ultrasound-guided needle aspiration (USG-FNAC) was 69% and 88.1%. The result of our study indicates the feasibility of USG and USG-FNAC in a high-volume center with good accuracy of around 70-80%. Approximately one-fourth (24%) of the total patients were taken up for axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) without performing SLNB.

False-negative ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinicopathological features of patients with false-negative fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and to determine the factors associated with negative FNAC.

METHODS

Patients with negative FNAC from January 2010 to December 2019 were included. The patients with positive sentinel nodes (SN) were divided into two groups: micrometastasis (≤2 mm) group and macrometastasis (>2 mm) group. The clinicopathological characteristics were compared between the two groups using the χ² test.

RESULTS

A total of 165 patients with negative FNAC were included; 52 (31.5%) had positive SNs. Of the 52 patients, 13 (25%) had micrometastasis and the remaining 39 (75%) had macrometastasis. Of the 113 patients with negative SNs, none had metastases found in non-SNs. No significant differences were observed in age, cT stage or subtype, and preoperative ultrasound findings between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The false-negative rate of FNAC was high (31.5%). Micrometastatic disease was seen in patients with negative FNAC, and this might be the cause of false-negative FNAC results.

A Randomized Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Methylene Blue Dye Alone Versus Combination of Methylene Blue Dye and Radioactive Sulfur Colloid in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Early Stage Breast Cancer Patients

Although sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has become a standard of care for management of axilla in breast cancer patients, the technique of SLNB is still not well defined. Unlike radioactive sulfur colloid which requires nuclear medicine facilities, methylene blue dye is readily available. The purpose of this study is to validate the use of methylene blue dye alone for SLNB in early breast cancer patients. 60 patients of early breast cancer were randomized to receive either methylene blue alone (Group A-30 patients) or a combination of both methylene blue and radioactive colloid (Group B-30 patients) for detection of sentinel lymph nodes. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was done followed by complete axillary dissection in all patients. In both Groups A and B, sentinel node was identified in all 30 patients, giving identification rate of 100%. In group A, sentinel node was the only positive node in 1 patient, with a false-positive rate of 14.2%. The negative predictive value was 91.3%. The sensitivity of the procedure in predicting further axillary disease was 75% with a specificity of 95.45%. The overall accuracy was 90%. In group B, sentinel node was the only positive node in 2 cases, giving a false-positive rate of 28.7%. The negative predictive value was 95.65%. The sensitivity of the procedure in predicting further axillary disease was 83.33% with a specificity of 91.67%. The overall accuracy was 90%. Although the false-negative rate was slightly higher with methylene blue alone than that using combination (8.6%-4.3%), it was statistically insignificant. Similarly the sensitivity (75%-83.33%), specificity (95.45-91.67%), and negative predictive value (91.3%-95.67%) were also comparable between groups A and B, respectively. Negative predictive value and false-negative rates are comparable, whether blue dye is used alone or a combination of blue dye and radioactive colloid is used. Sentinel lymph node biopsy with blue dye alone is reliable and can be put to clinical practice more widely, even if nuclear medicine facilities are not available in resource constrained centers, so as to reduce long-term morbidity of axillary dissection, with similar oncological outcomes.

Shortcomings of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in the axillary management of women with breast cancer

Background

Ultrasound, along with ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, is currently used for the axillary evaluation of breast cancer patients in order to identify candidates for axillary lymph node dissection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of this tool in correctly identifying patients who may or may not benefit from axillary clearance in light of the ACOSOG Z0011 trial recommendations.

Methods

One hundred one patients (65 with positive US-FNA with corresponding axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), and 36 with negative US-FNA with corresponding ALND/sentinel lymph node biopsy) were studied for the number of involved axillary lymph nodes, tumor clinicopathologic features, and axillary radiologic findings.

Results

From the positive US-FNA group, 43% of patients had two or fewer positive lymph nodes upon ALND pathologic examination. In the US-FNA negative group, the negative predictive value for detecting axillary disease was 72.7%. With both groups combined, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of US-FNA for selecting patients based on axillary disease burden were 86%, 51.7%, 57%, and 83.3%, respectively.

Conclusion

Based on Z0011 guidelines, US-FNA is not a reliable tool in triaging patients in need for ALND and leads to overtreatment of 43% patients when positive, while depriving a small but significant percentage of patients from necessary therapy, when negative.

Preoperative morphological diagnosis of axillary lymph nodes in a breast center consultation service: evaluation of fine-needle aspiration and core biopsy techniques

PURPOSE

Preoperative routine examination of axillary lymph nodes (ALN) in breast cancer patients is carried out physically and by ultrasound imaging; unsuspicious nodes will lead to a sentinel node (SN) procedure, suspicious ones require axillary dissection (AD). Pre-operative biopsy techniques like fine needle aspiration (FNA) or core biopsy (CB) may reduce the number of false "suspicious" cases and prevent overtreatment. We evaluated the effectiveness of both biopsy techniques.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After physical and ultrasound examination 241 suspicious ALNs were found in 214 patients. Ultrasound-guided FNA and/or CB procedures were chosen randomly, resulting in 138 FNA and 86 CB. In 17 further events both FNA and CB were employed. The samples were examined in our Cytology lab or in the Pathology Department and the findings correlated with post-operative histological lymph node reports. Patients with histologically proven breast cancer underwent sentinel node biopsy, cytologically or histologically positive FNA/CB-findings prompted ALN dissection.

RESULTS

Out of 155 FNA samples 34 were not representative (21.9%), 89 showed no tumor cells (57.4%), 30 showed positive tumor cells (19.4%), leaving two missing. All 103 CB showed representative material, positive in 62 (60.2%) and negative in 41 (39.8%) cases. Correlation with histological reports revealed a statistically non-significant advantage for CB over FNA regarding total accuracy (92.9% vs. 78.3%) and sensitivity (92% vs. 73.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative CB and alternative FNA are valuable complementary methods of predicting ALN involvement in breast cancer patients and may spare the patient unnecessary ALN dissection.

Does use of axillary ultrasound in clinically node-negative patients receiving neo-adjuvant systemic therapy for breast cancer lead to surgical overtreatment?

Increased use of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer has raised uncertainty regarding staging of the axilla, particularly for patients with a clinically negative axillary physical examination (PE). We sought to determine whether axillary ultrasound (AUS) prior to NAC to identify occult nodal disease is beneficial in patients with a clinically negative examination by evaluating the difference in nodal burden on final pathology in those with abnormal vs normal AUS. A retrospective review of an institutional cancer registry identified patients who underwent NAC for breast cancer and had a pretreatment AUS. Differences in the number of positive lymph nodes (PLN) in patients with a normal axillary PE and abnormal vs normal AUS prior to NAC were determined. A total of 120 patients who received NAC had a negative axillary PE prior to treatment. Fifty-three had an abnormal AUS and biopsy-proven lymph node (LN) involvement. In patients with an abnormal AUS, median number of PLNs at surgery was 1 vs 0 for those with a normal AUS (mean difference of 2.12, P < .0001). Of those patients with an abnormal AUS and biopsy-proven LN involvement, 87% underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and nearly half had no PLN on final pathology (N = 23, 43%). Patients with a clinically negative axilla and an abnormal AUS were more likely to have PLN at the time of surgery. However, almost half of those patients had no residual LN involvement. Routine AUS prior to NAC may lead to more extensive surgical management of the axilla.

Utility of Preoperative Staging of Ipsilateral Axilla with Ultrasound and Guided Needle Aspiration in Early-Stage Breast Cancer-Current Indian Scenario

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.

Serum miRNA-based Prediction of Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer

PURPOSE

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the gold-standard procedure for evaluating axillary lymph node (ALN) status in patients with breast cancer. However, the morbidity of SLNB is not negligible, and the procedure is invasive for patients without ALN metastasis. Here, we developed a diagnostic model for evaluating ALN status using a combination of serum miRNAs and clinicopathologic factors as a novel less-invasive biomarker.Experimental Design: Preoperative serum samples were collected from patients who underwent surgery for primary breast cancer or breast benign diseases between 2008 and 2014. A total of 958 serum samples (921 cases of primary breast cancer, including 630 cases in the no ALN metastasis group and 291 cases in the ALN metastasis group, and 37 patients with benign breast diseases) were analyzed by miRNA microarray. Samples were randomly divided into training and test sets. Logistic LASSO regression analysis was used to construct diagnostic models in the training set, which were validated in the test set.

RESULTS

An optimal diagnostic model was identified using a combination of two miRNAs (miR-629-3p and miR-4710) and three clinicopathologic factors (T stage, lymphovascular invasion, and ultrasound findings), which showed a sensitivity of 0.88 (0.84-0.92), a specificity of 0.69 (0.61-0.76), an accuracy of 0.818, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.86 in the test set.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum miRNA profiles may be useful for the diagnosis of ALN metastasis before surgery in a less-invasive manner than SLNB.

Preoperative axillary nodal staging with ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging: predictive values of quantitative and semantic features

OBJECTIVE:

Although axillary imaging has recently received renewed interest for preoperative staging in tandem with the evolving minimally invasive surgical approaches, axillary imaging is limited by the lack of standardization in the interpretation. We aimed to classify imaging features in ultrasound and MRI into quantitative and semantic features and evaluate predictive value of each feature for predicting nodal metastases.

METHODS:

A total of 316 breast cancers patients who underwent ultrasound and MRI prior to axillary surgery were included. Retrospective reviews of our breastimaging database were done for the quantitative features [cortical thickness (CT) and CT-derived parameters, long diameter (LD), short diameter (SD), and LD/SD ratio] and semantic features (eccentricity, loss of fatty hilum, and irregularity) of the axillary lymph node in images. Odd ratios (ORs) for each imaging feature were calculated with adjustment for clinicopathological characteristics significantly associated with nodal metastases.

RESULTS:

All CT-derived parameters were significantly associated with nodal metastases in both ultrasound and MRI (OR, 3.3-3.5 for ultrasound and 3.3-3.9 for MRI, respectively; Ps < .05). For the ultrasound, LD/SD ratio (OR, 2.1), eccentricity (OR, 2.4), and fatty hilum loss (OR, 27.2) were significantly associated with nodal metastases (Ps < .05). For the MRI, SD (OR, 2.1) and eccentricity (OR, 3.0) were significantly associated with nodal metastases (Ps < .05).

CONCLUSION:

Among the quantitative features, all CT-derived parameters can be used for predicting nodal metastases. Significant predictors of semantic features were heterogeneous between ultrasound and MRI.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE:

(1) Imaging features of ultrasound and MRI for preoperative axillary nodal staging can be classified into quantitative and semantic features. (2) Predictive values of each imaging features are heterogeneous for predicting nodal metastases.

The efficacy of ultrasound in the follow up after a negative sentinel lymph node in women with vulvar cancer: a prospective single-centre study

Objective

To determine the efficacy of the addition of an ultrasound of the groins in routine follow up of women with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) after a negative sentinel lymph node (SLN).

Design

Prospective single‐centre study.

Setting

A tertiary expert oncology centre for the treatment of vulvar cancer.

Population

All women with vulvar SCC with a negative SLN, treated between 2006 and 2014.

Methods

We prospectively collected data of 139 women with vulvar SCC treated with an SLN procedure. We analysed data of 76 patients with a negative SLN. Three‐monthly follow‐up visits consisted of physical examination combined with an ultrasound of the groins by a radiologist.

Main outcome measures

The diagnostic value of ultrasound in the follow up of women with vulvar SCC with a negative SLN during the first 2 years after treatment.

Results

During a routine visit, two asymptomatic isolated groin recurrences were detected. Both patients were treated by inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy and are alive without evidence of disease 39 and 120 months after diagnosis. In total, 348 ultrasounds and 29 fine‐needle aspiration were performed. The sensitivity of ultrasound to detect a groin metastasis was 100% (95% CI 16–100%), and specificity was 92% (95% CI 89–95%).

Conclusions

Routine follow up including ultrasound of the groin led to early detection of asymptomatic isolated groin recurrences. Further research is necessary to determine the exact role of ultrasound in the follow up of patients with vulvar SCC with a negative SLN.

Tweetable abstract

Routine follow up including ultrasound of the groin led to early detection of asymptomatic isolated groin recurrences.

Routine follow up including ultrasound of the groin led to early detection of asymptomatic isolated groin recurrences.

Indications for biopsy of imaging-detected intramammary and axillary lymph nodes in the absence of concurrent breast cancer

To evaluate the prevalence of malignancy in imaging-detected abnormal lymph nodes (LNs) in women without concurrent cancer and to identify imaging features predictive of malignancy in this population. This is an IRB-approved study with waived informed consent. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all image-guided LN FNAs and CNBs performed at our institution from 1/1/08 through 12/31/10. LNs sampled in patients without concurrent breast cancer comprised our study group (SG; n = 77), and with concurrent breast cancer our reference group (RG; n = 124). Blinded to cytology/histology, imaging features of the LNs including size, loss of fatty hilum, and cortical thickness were reviewed. A low/high suspicion category was then assigned based on LN appearance. The prevalence of malignancy in LNs in SG was 6% (5/77) and in RG 52% (64/124; P < .0001). Complete loss of fatty hilum had 100% (5/5) sensitivity, and 100% (56/56) NPV for detecting cancer in SG, compared to 39% (25/64) sensitivity and 61% (60/99) NPV in RG. When a "high suspicion" imaging feature was used as a threshold to biopsy, the sensitivity (5/5) and NPV (45/45) in SG were 100%, and in RG 78% (50/64) and 77% (47/61), respectively. The prevalence of cancer in imaging-detected abnormal LNs in patients without concurrent breast cancer is low. In the absence of concurrent cancer, using highly suspicious features of loss of fatty hilum or cortical thickness ≥ 5 mm as a threshold to biopsy will maintain high sensitivity with lower false-positive biopsy rate.

Normal Axillary Lymph Node Variability Between White and Black Women on Breast MRI

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine if there were differences in the imaging features of normal lymph nodes between white and black women using magnetic resonance imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Following institutional review board approval, we identified white and black women who underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging from November 1, 2008 to December 31, 2013 at our institution. To identify normal lymph nodes for measurement, patients with any benign or malignant causes for lymph node enlargement and patients with any subsequent breast cancer in the following 2 years were excluded. Black and white women were age matched at a 1:2 ratio. The largest lymph node in each axilla was measured for the long-axis length and maximal cortical thickness. Comparisons were made between white and black women using a conditional logistic regression to control for matching.

RESULTS

There were 55 black women and 110 white women for analysis. The mean lymph node long-axis length was 14.7 ± 5.3 mm for black women and 14.4 ± 6.4 mm for white women (P = .678). The mean maximum cortical thickness was 3.3 ± 1.6 mm for black women and 2.6 ± 1.4 mm for Caucasian women (P < .001). A significantly higher percentage of black than white women had cortical thicknesses greater than threshold values of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 mm (P < .01 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

The normal lymph node cortical thickness in black women is significantly greater than in white women, which should be considered when deciding to recommend a lymph node biopsy.

Outcomes of ultrasound-guided axillary lymph node sampling in the absence of primary breast cancer

PURPOSE

To evaluate outcomes of lymph node sampling in patients with suspicious axillary nodes without a diagnosis of breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively identified all axillary ultrasound-guided sampling performed at our institution from 2003 to 2016 in patients. without malignancy.

RESULTS

Seventy-eight lymph nodes met inclusion criteria. Two of the 78 sampled nodes (2.6%) were malignant.

CONCLUSION

Sampling of suspicious nodes in patients without a history of breast cancer rarely yields malignancy. The malignancy rate approaches the 2% BIRADS 3 threshold. Further data may demonstrate that short-interval imaging follow-up is a safe alternative to sampling in this cohort.

Intramammary sentinel lymph node with capsular extravasation in breast cancer

Sentinel lymph node biopsy has been developed as the standard of treatment in breast cancer. Status of axillary sentinel lymph node is known to be a significant prognostic factor. Nevertheless, involvement of an intramammary lymph node with metastasis in breast cancer is a rare radiological and clinical presentation, and with extracapsular extravasation even more uncommon. Historically, reported series of patients with intramammary lymph node diagnosed by final histological examination are small in number and clinical significance of metastasis is still unclear. Here, we report a case of conservative breast cancer surgery with 3 intramammary sentinel lymph nodes containing metastasis and extracapsular extravasation. After multidisciplinary consensus, the patient was surgically reapproached with mastectomy. Even though the 3 intramammary sentinel lymph nodes were positive for metastases, pathology examination did not reveal any signs of malignancy in the mastectomy specimen.

The Relevance of Ultrasound Imaging of Suspicious Axillary Lymph Nodes and Fine-needle Aspiration Biopsy in the Post-ACOSOG Z11 Era in Early Breast Cancer

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Evaluation of nodal involvement in early-stage breast cancers (T1 or T2) changed following the Z11 trial; however, not all patients meet the Z11 inclusion criteria. Hence, the relevance of ultrasound imaging of the axilla and fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) in early-stage breast cancers was investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this single-center, retrospective study, 758 subjects had pathology-verified breast cancer diagnosis over a 3-year period, of which 128 subjects with T1 or T2 breast tumors had abnormal axillary lymph nodes on ultrasound, had FNA, and proceeded to axillary surgery. Ultrasound images were reviewed and analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to identify the features predictive of positive FNA. Accuracy of FNA was quantified as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve with axillary surgery as reference standard.

RESULTS

Of 128 subjects, 61 were positive on FNA and 65 were positive on axillary surgery. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of FNA were 52 of 65 (80%), 54 of 63 (85.7%), 52 of 61(85.2%), and 54 of 67 (80.5%), respectively. After adjusting for neoadjuvant chemotherapy between FNA and surgery, a positive FNA was associated with higher likelihood for positive axillary surgery (odds ratio: 22.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.2-71.3, P < .0001), and the accuracy of FNA was 0.801 (95% CI: 0.727-0.876). Among ultrasound imaging features, cortical thickness and abnormal hilum were predictive (P < .017) of positive FNA with accuracy of 0.817 (95% CI: 0.741-0.893).

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound imaging and FNA can play an important role in the management of early breast cancers even in the post-Z11 era. Higher weightage can be accorded to cortical thickness and hilum during ultrasound evaluation.

Role of Contrast-Enhanced Sonography in the Evaluation of Axillary Lymph Nodes in Breast Carcinoma: A Monocentric Study

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced sonography for characterization of the lymph node status (metastatic or not) in patients with breast carcinomas by comparison with sentinel lymph node biopsy.

METHODS

From January to August 2015, 50 female patients with a histologic diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma were prospectively examined by ipsilateral axillary contrast-enhanced sonography. The test was performed by a single radiologist using an ultrasound system with a broadband 8-12-MHz, 38-mm high-resolution linear transducer. For the target lymph node, we chose a node with a sonographic pattern that was suspicious for malignancy: ie, a longitudinal-to-transverse diameter ratio of less than 2, absence of a central hyperechogenic hilum, or both. In cases with a lack of sonographic signs of malignancy, we evaluated the node with the maximal transverse diameter. Nodes were considered malignant in cases with total absence of contrast enhancement and in those with enhancement alterations. Within 1 week, all patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy, followed by a histologic test.

RESULTS

The histologic test showed benignity in 22 of 50 sentinel lymph nodes, whereas 28 were metastatic. Among the 22 patients with negative biopsy results, contrast-enhanced sonography showed 18 concordances and 4 false-positives results; among the 28 with positive biopsy results, contrast-enhanced sonography obtained 100% correct characterizations of the axillary status. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 100%, 82%, and 92%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrast-enhanced sonography appears to be a method with high accuracy for characterization of axillary lymph nodes, very close to the reference-standard sentinel lymph node biopsy. This technique seems to have overall high sensitivity.

Diagnostic Value of Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsies and Pathologic Methods for Benign and Malignant Breast Masses and Axillary Node Assessment

Bacground: The goal of this study was to evaluate the fine needle aspiration (FNA) preoperatively together with Touch Print, Crush Print, frozen section and pathologic methods to reach a diagnosis for patients with breast and axillary masses. Methods: This study was conducted on 107 patients, and included 111 samples of breast and 43 of axillary masses taken at surgery. Data on epidemiological and clinical features of the patients were collected using a questionnaire. The results of the methods of FNA, Touch Print, and Crush Print were compared with the results of pathology after operations. Results: Comparison between the diagnosis values of FNA with pathology for breast cancer showed sensitivity, sensitivity, positive predictive values, negative predictive values, positive mendacious percentages, and negative mendacious percentages of 80.4%, 98%, 97.3%, 87.6%, 2%, and 19.6% , respectively, and for metastatic axillary lymph nodes, 80%, 95.6%, 94.1%, 84.6%, 4.4%, and 20%. Comparison of diagnosis values of FNA with Touch Print and Crush Print for breast cancer gave values of 82.2%, 89%, 97.3%, 89%, 1.6%, and 17.8%, respectively, and for metastatic axillary lymph nodes 84.2%, 95.8%, 94.1%, 88.4%, 14.2%, and 15.8%. Conclusion: Use of these methods, compared with pathology, can decrease cost, time, and a need for a second surgery and related complications.