Ce. Elson et al., IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF AXILLARY LYMPH-NODEMICROMETASTASES IN BREAST-CARCINOMA - A STUDY OF 97 CASES, Analytical and quantitative cytology and histology, 15(3), 1993, pp. 171-178
Paraffin blocks of all axillary lymph nodes from 97 patients with an i
nitial histologic diagnosis of infiltrating ductal carcinoma and negat
ive axillary nodes were recut and stained with two monoclonal antibodi
es, AE/AE3 (antikeratin) and DF3 (developed against breast cancer cell
s and reactive with a glycoprotein tumor-associated antigen). Immunohi
stochemical staining detected occult micrometastases in 20 patients (2
0.6%). No patient had more than three lymph nodes involved by tumor. R
eview of the original hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections revealed
that foci of tumor were initially overlooked in nine of these cases (9
.3%). In the remaining 11 cases (11.3%) the metastatic foci were encou
ntered in the process of recutting the paraffin blocks for immunohisto
chemical studies. AE1/AE3 proved to be the more effective of the two a
ntibodies in staining micrometastases. After a mean follow-up period o
f 5.7 years, no significant decrease in survival or increase in tumor
recurrence was detected for patients with occult micrometastases as co
mpared to those patients without micrometastases.