EFFECTIVENESS OF MULTIPLE-LEVEL SECTIONING IN DETECTING AXILLARY NODAL MICROMETASTASIS IN BREAST-CANCER - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY WITH IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS
Pj. Zhang et al., EFFECTIVENESS OF MULTIPLE-LEVEL SECTIONING IN DETECTING AXILLARY NODAL MICROMETASTASIS IN BREAST-CANCER - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY WITH IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS, Archives of pathology and laboratory medicine, 122(8), 1998, pp. 687-690
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Pathology,"Medical Laboratory Technology","Medicine, Research & Experimental
Objective.-To evaluate the effectiveness of original multiple-level se
ctioning in detecting axillary nodal micrometastasis in breast carcino
ma. Design.-Retrospective analysis of 707 axillary nodes from 34 conse
cutive node-negative invasive breast cancers from the years 1989 and 1
990. All but 2 cases were originally examined by multiple-level sectio
ning. The original histologic sections were reviewed. Additional secti
ons were cut for hematoxylin-eosin staining and cytokeratin immunohist
ochemistry. Results.-A micrometastasis was found in only 1 case (1 nod
e) on the original histologic section, which was 1 of the 2 cases not
originally processed by multiple-level sectioning. Additional sections
and cytokeratin immunostains were negative on all cases, including th
e false-negative case identified on original section. Conclusions.-The
finding of a micrometastasis in 1 case on the original, but not on an
y additional recuts or cytokeratin immunostains, indicates that the or
iginal multiple-level sectioning was very effective (0% false negative
s). Immunohistochemistry provided no additional benefit in detecting m
icrometastases in cases already examined by multiple-level sectioning.
Thorough histologic examination on properly prepared sections is prob
ably the most efficient and cost-effective way to detect the vast majo
rity of axillary nodal micrometastases.