Meta-analysis of sentinel node imprint cytology in breast cancer

Abstract

Imprint cytology is simple and rapid, and has good sensitivity for macrometastases. The significance of poor sensitivity for micrometastases will be determined by trials investigating their natural history.

Detection of breast cancer metastasis in sentinel lymph nodes using intra-operative real time GeneSearch™ BLN Assay in the operating room: results of the Cardiff study

“…2 Time taken for intraoperative assessment of sentinel lymph nodes using the GeneSearch TM BLN Assay. Number of sentinel lymph nodes removed: j 1 sentinel lymph node, m 2 sentinel lymph nodes, r [2 sentinel lymph nodes lymphadenectomy are uncommon with a pooled specificity of 99% [6]. Rapid immunohistochemistry and serial sectioning significantly increase the sensitivity compared to frozen section alone [7,8].…”

Evaluation of Sentinel Lymph Node Intraoperative Touch Imprint Cytology in Breast Cancer Surgery

“…In addition, sectioning bigger SLN at 2-3 mm intervals, rather than simply bisecting them, showed to increase sensitivity without excessively extending the length of the examination [32]. In literature, TIC specificity reached 100% in most of cases, whereas its sensitivity ranges between 69% to 99%.…”

“…This means that false positive results, leading to unnecessary axillary dissection, are quite uncommon, whereas false negative rates are extremely variable, involving mostly micrometastasis. On the other hand, TIC is very accurate when only macrometastases are taken into consideration [32].…”

Clinical significance of sentinel lymph node isolated tumour cells in breast cancer

“…Intra-operative assessment often involves frozen section analysis [14], based on haematoxylin and eosin staining (HES) or the cytological assessment of touchimprints [15]. Recent advances in molecular biology permit highly sensitive and rapid SLN analysis.…”