Roland Reitsamer

Multicentric Breast Cancer: A New Indication for Sentinel Node Biopsy—A Multi-Institutional Validation Study

PURPOSE Multicentric breast cancer has been considered to be a contraindication for sentinel node (SN) biopsy (SNB). In this prospective multi-institutional trial, SNB-feasibility and accuracy was evaluated in 142 patients with multicentric cancer from the Austrian Sentinel Node Study Group (ASNSG) and compared with data from 3,216 patients with unicentric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 1996 and 2004, 3,730 patients underwent SNB at 15 ASNSG-affiliated hospitals. Patient data were entered in a multicenter database. One hundred forty-two patients presented with multicentric invasive breast cancer and underwent SNB. RESULTS Intraoperatively, a mean number of 1.67 SNs were excised (identification-rate, 91.5%). The incidence of SN metastases was 60.8% (79 of 130). This was confirmed by axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in 125 patients. Of patients with positive SNs, 60.8% (48 of 79) showed involvement of nonsentinel nodes (NSNs), as did three patients with negative SNs (false-negative rate, 4.0). Sensitivity, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy were 96.0%, 93.3%, and 97.3%, respectively. Ninety-one percent of the patients underwent mastectomy, and 9% were treated with breast conserving surgery. None of the patients have shown axillary recurrence so far (mean follow-up, 28.8 months). Compared with 3,216 patients with unicentric cancer, there was a significantly higher rate of SN metastases as well as in NSNs, whereas there was no difference in detection and false-negative rates. CONCLUSION Multicentric breast cancer is a new indication for SNB without routine ALND in controlled trials. Given adequate quality control and an interdisciplinary teamwork of surgical, nuclear medicine, and pathology units, SNB is both feasible and accurate in this disease entity.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy After Preoperative Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer: Findings from the Austrian Sentinel Node Study Group

BackgroundSentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has become an accurate alternative to axillary lymph node dissection for early breast cancer. However, data are still insufficient as regards the combination of SLNB with preoperative chemotherapy (PC).MethodsThe Austrian Sentinel Node Study Group investigated 167 patients who underwent SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection after 3 to 6 courses of PC. SLNB was limited to patients with a clinically negative axilla after PC. Blue dye was used in 29 cases (17%), and tracers were used in 20 (12%). A combination of the two methods was applied in most patients (n = 120; 72%).ResultsAt least 1 sentinel lymph node (SLN) was identified in 144 patients (identification rate, 85%): in 86% by blue dye alone, in 65% by tracers alone, and in 88% by a combination of methods. The SLN was positive in 70 women (42%) and was the only positive node with otherwise negative axillary nodes in 39 patients (23%). In 6 cases, the SLN was diagnosed as negative although tumor infiltration was detected in an upper node of the axillary basin (false-negative rate, 8%; 6 of 76 patients; sensitivity, 92%). At least 62 patients (37%) were free of tumor cells in the SLN and in the axillary nodes.ConclusionThe results of SLNB after PC are comparable to the results of SLNB without PC. Further investigation in a prospective setting is warranted to confirm these promising results.

The Salzburg concept of intraoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer: results and considerations.

Aim of this study is to show that ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) after breast conserving surgery can be reduced by proper surgery and modern radiotherapy techniques. Three hundred and seventy eight women with stage I or II breast cancer had breast conserving surgery and received 51–56.1 Gy of postoperative radiation to the whole breast in 1.7 Gy fractions, but patients received different boost strategies. Group 1 (n = 188) received electron boost radiation of 12 Gy subsequent to the irradiation to the whole breast, group 2 (n = 190) received intraoperative electron boost radiation of 9 Gy directly to the tumor bed, followed by whole breast irradiation. After a median follow up period of 81.0 months in group 1 and a median follow up period of 51.1 months in group 2, 12 IBTRs (6.4%) could be observed in group 1 and no IBTR could be observed in group 2 (0.0%). The 5‐year actuarial rates of IBTR were 4.3% (95% CI, 1.9–8.3%) and 0.0% (95% CI, 0.0–1.9%), respectively (p = 0.0018). The 5‐year actuarial rates of distant recurrence were 8.6% (95% CI, 4.9–13.5%) and 4.2% (95% CI, 1.8–8.2%), respectively (p = 0.08). The 5 year disease‐free survival rates were 90.9% (95% CI, 85.8–94.7%) in group 1 and 95.8% (95% CI, 91.8–98.2%) in group 2 (p = 0.064). Immediate IORT‐boost and whole breast irradiation yields excellent local control at 5 years, and was associated with a statistically significant decreased rate of IBTR compared with a similar cohort of patients treated with whole breast irradiation and conventional electron boost.

The positive non-sentinel status is not the main decisional factor for chemotherapy assignment in breast cancer with micrometastatic disease in the sentinel lymph node.

Surgical and systemic treatment modalities for breast cancer (BC) patients with micrometastatic disease in the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) are controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate decisional factors associated with assignment of adjuvant chemotherapy (CT).

Predictors of mastectomy in a certified breast center - the surgeon is an independent risk factor.

Abstract:  The current study examined predictors of mastectomy in a certified breast center with the main impact on the factor surgeon. A total of 663 patients were analyzed for their mastectomy rates. Included were patients with T1 and T2 tumors, who had their surgery performed by one of three specialized breast surgeons with a workload of at least 50 new breast cancer cases per year. On multivariate analysis central tumor localization, positive lymph node status, nonunifocality, large tumor size, and the surgeon were independent predictors of mastectomy. Surgeon A had a mastectomy rate of 30.5% (50/164), surgeon B 26.9% (43/160) respectively, and surgeon C had a mastectomy rate of 15.8% (27/171), p = 0.005. Patients, who had surgery performed by surgeon A or surgeon B were 2.34 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.38–3.97, p < 0.005] respectively 1.96 (95% CI: 1.14–3.36, p = 0.01) times as likely to have a mastectomy than patients who had surgery performed by surgeon C. Even in a certified breast center with specialized breast surgeons the surgeon is an independent risk factor of mastectomy, as the tumor criteria are given at the time of diagnosis.

Sentinel Node Biopsy After Primary Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer: A Note of Caution from Results of ABCSG-14

Abstract:  Over the past years, experience has been increasing with lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy (SNB) after preoperative chemotherapy for breast cancer, with a wide range of results reported in the literature and final conclusions on the diagnostic value and clinical consequences of this sequential approach still missing. Between 1999 and 2002, the Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group (ABCSG) conducted a prospective randomized multicenter trial comparing three versus six preoperative cycles of epirubicin/docetaxel + granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor for operable breast cancer. Of the 292 patients recruited to the trial overall, 111 were enrolled in a prospective subprotocol for performing LM and SNB in addition to obligatory axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after PC. SNB after PC identified at least one sentinel node in 100 of 111 patients (identification rate 90%). In six cases, a false‐negative SN was identified, resulting in a false‐negative rate of 13% (6 of 47). We only found little correlation between patients and tumor characteristics and the identification rate or false‐negative rate. Lymphatic mapping and SNB after primary chemotherapy failed to predict histologic infiltration of the sentinel node with sufficient sensitivity. The routine use of SNB after primary chemotherapy should therefore be discouraged.