BackgroundAxillary lymph node dissection (ALND) has been the standard treatment of breast cancer axillary staging in Indonesia. The limited facilities of radioisotope tracer and isosulfan or patent blue dye (PBD) have been the major obstacles to perform sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in our country. We studied the application of 1% methylene blue dye (MBD) alone for SNB to overcome the problem.MethodsThis prospective study enrolled 108 patients with suspicious malignant lesions or breast cancer stages I–III. SNB was performed using 2–5 cc of 1% MBD and proceeded with ALND. The histopathology results of sentinel nodes (SNs) were compared with axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) for diagnostic value assessments.ResultsThere were 96 patients with invasive carcinoma from July 2012 to September 2014 who were included in the final analysis. The median age was 50 (25–69) years, and the median pathological tumor size was 3 cm (1–10). Identification rate of SNs was 91.7%, and the median number of the identified SNs was 2 (1–8). Sentinel node metastasis was found in 53.4% cases and 89.4% of them were macrometastases. The negative predictive value (NPV) of SNs to predict axillary metastasis was 90% (95% CI, 81–99%). There were no anaphylactic reactions, but we found 2 cases with skin necrosis.ConclusionsThe application of 1% MBD as a single technique in breast cancer SNB has favorable identification rates and predictive values. It can be used for axillary staging, but nevertheless the technique should be applied with attention to the tumor size and grade to avoid false negative results.

Objective: Molecular testing of thyroid nodules becomes important for improving the accuracy of fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic utility of BRAF, NRAS, and TERT promoter mutation in thyroid nodules at Dharmais Cancer Hospital. Methods: We performed a prospective diagnostic study involving 50 patients with thyroid nodules who needed surgery between September 2013 and August 2014. Mutational hotspots in BRAF exon 15, NRAS exon 3, and TERT promoter region were analyzed by Sanger sequencing from FNAB specimens. Cytology and molecular data were compared to histopathology results. Results: Of the 50 cases included in the analysis, 39 cases (78%) were thyroid malignancies. Mutations of BRAF, NRAS, and TERT promoter were detected in 31% (12/39), 18% (7/39), and 13% (5/39) cases, respectively. BRAF and NRAS mutations were found mutually exclusive, while all of TERT promoter mutation was found coexistent either with BRAF (40%) or NRAS (60%). The combination of FNAB cytology and molecular testing resulted in 69% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value, 48% negative predictive value, and 76% accuracy. Conclusion: Molecular testing of BRAF, NRAS, and TERT mutations improve the sensitivity of thyroid FNAB and is beneficial for more definitive treatment in selective cases. However, the NPV is relatively low to avoid the need for diagnostic surgery. Therefore, further studies to identify more sensitive methods and more comprehensive molecular markers in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules are needed.

Introduction: Breast cancer metastasis at the parotid gland is uncommon. There were only 21 cases reported until the recent year, and none of them came from Indonesia. The reports showed that breast cancer metastasis is more often found at the liver, lung, bone, and brain. Therefore, any masses found on the parotid are usually considered as a double primer.Case Presentation: We report a case of a woman, firstly diagnosed with luminal A stage IIA breast cancer at 39 years old. The patient had undergone breast-conserving therapy (BCT), followed by adjuvant hormonal therapy before being diagnosed with bone metastasis four years later. She also complained about a painful mass on her left upper neck. Ultrasonography and CT-scan resulted in insignificant abnormality. After a year with increasing painful mass, we performed FNAB. The result showed metastatic adenocarcinoma with a suspicious breast cancer origin. We did total parotidectomy with facial nerve preservation to alleviate the pain. Pathology results showed a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer metastasis. The patient was given radiotherapy as local control and was scheduled to receive chemotherapy as systemic therapy.Conclusions: Parotid mass with a clinical symptom in the patient with the history of breast cancer should be evaluated firstly by imaging and may be followed by cytology or pathology evaluation to confirm whether it is primary or secondary malignancy. If the parotid metastasis from breast cancer is confirmed, we should consider adding systemic therapy after completing the local control.

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