Feasibility of the use of touch imprint cytology for the assessment of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer in the rural setting

Abstract

Background Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy for the assessment of axillary lymph nodes (ALN) is the gold standard in the management of breast cancer. Patients with a positive SLN will undergo an axillary clearance on a later date. Intraoperative assessment of the SLN is a valuable tool and often performed using Frozen section (FS) in certain tertiary centres. Most rural centres do not have access to this facility due to lack of resources. As patients often travel long distances for specialist treatments within the rural networks, having access to an easy-to-perform intraoperative SLN assessment tool is invaluable. Aims The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and sensitivity of touch imprint cytology (TIC) and if it can be applied in the rural setting in assessment of SLN in invasive breast cancer. Methods 100 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The management of these patients was not altered in any manner. SLNs were