Malcolm Buchanan

Benign Papilloma on Core Biopsy Requires Surgical Excision

When a papillary lesion is identified on core biopsy of an impalpable breast lesion, standard practice involves excisional biopsy. Recent literature has questioned the need for surgical excision in patients with benign core biopsy and radiological concordance. Our aim was to assess whether surgical excision is required by targeting this concordant group in a large screen-detected population. A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database of all benign papillary core biopsies between February 1995 and September 2007 at North Western Breast Screen and Monash Breast Screen in Melbourne, Australia was performed. All patients had surgical excision, enabling correlation between core and final excisional biopsy results on all lesions. All histology reports were reviewed and the radiology was reassessed. During a 14-year period, 5783 core biopsies were performed from 633,163 screening mammograms. Eighty patients (0.01%) had benign papilloma on core biopsy, no patients had atypia on core biopsy, and all patients had benign radiological features. Of the 80 patients, 15 patients were found to have ductal carcinoma in situ (8) or invasive ductal carcinoma (7) on final pathology, yielding a 19% malignant rate. Core biopsy showing benign papillary lesion, even where radiology is also suggestive of a benign process, cannot exclude malignancy, and therefore surgical excision is required.BackgroundWhen a papillary lesion is identified on core biopsy of an impalpable breast lesion, standard practice involves excisional biopsy. Recent literature has questioned the need for surgical excision in patients with benign core biopsy and radiological concordance. Our aim was to assess whether surgical excision is required by targeting this concordant group in a large screen-detected population.MethodsA retrospective review of a prospectively collected database of all benign papillary core biopsies between February 1995 and September 2007 at North Western Breast Screen and Monash Breast Screen in Melbourne, Australia was performed. All patients had surgical excision, enabling correlation between core and final excisional biopsy results on all lesions. All histology reports were reviewed and the radiology was reassessed.ResultsDuring a 14-year period, 5783 core biopsies were performed from 633,163 screening mammograms. Eighty patients (0.01%) had benign papilloma on core biopsy, no patients had atypia on core biopsy, and all patients had benign radiological features. Of the 80 patients, 15 patients were found to have ductal carcinoma in situ (8) or invasive ductal carcinoma (7) on final pathology, yielding a 19% malignant rate.ConclusionCore biopsy showing benign papillary lesion, even where radiology is also suggestive of a benign process, cannot exclude malignancy, and therefore surgical excision is required.

Risk Factors for Invasive Breast Cancer When Core Needle Biopsy Shows Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

HYPOTHESIS A core needle biopsy (CNB) diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) may be associated with a final diagnosis of invasive cancer. Preoperative radiologic, clinical, and pathological features may identify patients at high risk of diagnostic upstaging, who may be appropriate candidates for sentinel node biopsy at initial surgery. DESIGN Review of prospectively collected database. SETTING Tertiary teaching referral hospital and a population-based breast screening center. PATIENTS Consecutive patients from January 1, 1994, to December 31, 2006, whose CNB findings showed DCIS or DCIS with microinvasion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Upstaging to invasive cancer. RESULTS Eleven of 15 cases of DCIS with microinvasion (73.3%) and 65 of 375 cases of DCIS (17.3%) were upstaged to invasive cancer. Ten of 21 palpable lesions (47.6%) were found to have microinvasion. For impalpable DCIS, multivariate analysis showed that noncalcific mammographic features (mass, architectural distortion, or nonspecific density) (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 2.00 [1.02-3.94]), mammographic size of 20 mm or greater (2.80 [1.46-5.38]), and prolonged screening interval of 3 years or longer (4.41 [1.60-12.13]) were associated with upstaging. The DCIS grade on CNB was significant on univariate analysis (P = .04). The rate of upstaging increased with the number of significant factors present in a patient: 8.3% in patients with no risk factors, 20.8% in those with 1 risk factor, 39.6% in those with 2 risk factors, and 57.1% in those with 3 risk factors. CONCLUSIONS The risk of upstaging can be estimated by using preoperative features in patients with DCIS on CNB. We propose a management algorithm that includes sentinel node biopsy for patients with DCIS who have microinvasion on CNB, palpable DCIS, 2 or more predictive factors, and planned total mastectomy.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in the skin of a deltopectoral flap 27 years after pharyngeal reconstruction

Development of a second primary squamous cell carcinoma in the skin of a flap used for pharyngeal reconstruction is rare.

Prophylactic Neck Dissection in Early Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma 2.1 to 4.0 mm Depth

Objective. Regional recurrence is common following surgery for T1/T2 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Tumor depth >4.0 mm is commonly assigned as an indication for prophylactic neck dissection to improve regional control. Prophylactic neck dissection may detect extracapsular extension, a poor prognostic sign where adjuvant chemotherapy is indicated. The hypothesis in this study is that regional recurrence is a significant problem in 2.1- to 4.0-mm-depth tumors, and detection of extracapsular extension may be important in this group. Study Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. Australian tertiary referral center. Subjects and Methods. Review of all patients with T1/T2 oral tongue SCC treated surgically between January 1991 and January 2009 (n = 81). Results. Twenty-nine prophylactic and 5 therapeutic neck dissections followed for a median 34 months (range, 4-132 months). Tumor depths were 0 to 2.0 mm (n = 15), 2.1 to 4.0 mm (n = 18), 4.1 to 7.0 mm (n = 26), and >7.0 mm (n = 22). Tumors 2.1 to 4.0 mm depth had similar rates of occult nodes as 4.1 to 7.0 mm depth (25% vs 20%). Regional recurrence occurred in 31% overall, 44% in tumors 2.1 to 4.0 mm, and 27% in tumors 4.1 to 7.0 mm depth. Prophylactic neck dissection reduced regional recurrence (17% vs 43%, P = .02). Patients with pathologically negative necks had lower rates of regional recurrence than those with occult nodes (9% vs 50%, P < .01). Extracapsular extension increased regional recurrence (43% vs 7%, P = .02), including 25% of dissected necks with tumor depth 2.1 to 4.0 mm. Conclusions. Regional recurrence is a significant problem in 2.1- to 4.0-mm-depth T1/T2 tongue tumors. Prophylactic neck dissection may improve regional control in patients with adequate primary resection margins and determine need for adjuvant therapies in 2.1- to 4.0-mm-depth tumors.

Assessment of the Likelihood of Invasive Breast Cancer When Core Needle Biopsy Shows DCIS.

Background: Ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) on core needle biopsy (CNB) may be associated with a final diagnosis of invasive cancer (IC). As patients with IC need axillary assessment, those at risk of upstaging may be appropriate for sentinel node biopsy (SNB) at initial surgery, preventing the need for re-operation. We assessed this risk using pre-operative factors to develop a management algorithm. Materials and Methods: All patients whose CNB showed DCIS or DCIS with microinvasion (DCISm) from a single population-based breast screening program in Australia between 1994 and 2006 were studied. Medical records were reviewed for demographic, radiologic, clinical and pathologic data. Results: 11 of 15 DCISm cases (73.3%) and 65 of 375 DCIS cases (17.3%) were upstaged to IC. Microinvasion on CNB overwhelmingly predicted presence of frank invasive cancer. For cases of DCIS, multivariate analysis showed that (1) palpability (p=0.009), (2) large mammographic size ≥20mm (p=0.001) and (3) prolonged screening interval ≥3 years (p=0.008) were associated with upstaging. On univariate analysis, (4) non-calcific mammographic features (mass, architectural distortion or non-specific density) were significantly associated with upstaging (p=0.001). There was a trend towards upstaging in patients with high grade DCIS on CNB (p=0.07). Factors not associated with upstaging were microcalcifications (p=0.12), comedonecrosis (p=0.14), age (p=0.38) and CNB method (p=0.50). The rate of upstaging increases with the number of associated risk factors present in a patient: 8.3% in patients with no risk factors, 21.2% in those with one risk factor, 38.6% in those with two risk factors, and 52.9% in those with three risk factors. 13 patients (3.3%) had lymph node metastases. Conclusions: The risk of upstaging can be estimated using pre-operative features in patients with DCIS on CNB. We propose a management algorithm that includes SNB for DCIS patients: with microinvasion on core biopsy, with two or more predictive factors, and those with planned total mastectomy. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 3111.