Ectopic breast tissue in axillary lymph node.

Benign epithelial inclusions are uncommonly found in lymph nodes, and ectopic breast tissue in axillary lymph nodes is particularly uncommon. The patient is a 48-year-old woman who had an adenoma of the nipple removed 10 years previously. A swollen lymph node with amorphous calcifications in a clustered distribution on mammogram was found in the left axilla. Fine needle aspiration cytology showed only cystic change. Excisional biopsy was performed and microscopic examination demonstrated that the node contained benign mammary epithelial and glandular inclusions, and no evidence of malignancy.Such cases will be increasingly found due to the widespread use of mammography screening and biopsy of axillary sentinel lymph nodes. Ectopic breast tissue in lymph nodes may be mistaken for malignant lesions. It is most important to identify correctly the epithelial inclusions in lymph nodes to prevent an erroneous diagnosis.     

乳腺癌前哨淋巴结规范化处理

前哨淋巴结活检术（sentinel lymph node biopsy, SLNB）标志着乳腺癌淋巴结手术进入微创时代,循证医学I类证据支持SLNB是临床腋窝淋巴结阴性早期乳腺癌患者安全、有效的腋窝诊断技术,前哨淋巴结阴性及低肿瘤负荷患者行SLNB替代腋窝淋巴结清扫术后,腋窝淋巴结复发风险和并发症极低。作为乳腺癌区域淋巴结微创诊断技术,SLNB安全有效替代腋窝淋巴结清扫术应建立在规范化操作前提下。目前SLNB在我国早期乳腺癌患者中逐渐趋于规范化和普及化,本文将对临床实践中SLNB的适应证、示踪剂应用、学习曲线掌握、手术规范操作和组织标本处理等问题进行综述。      

Initial experience with sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer at the National Cancer Center Hospital East

BACKGROUND: Axillary lymph node dissection is an important procedure in the surgical treatment of breast cancer. Axillary lymph node dissection is still performed in over half of breast cancer patients having histologically negative nodes, regardless of the morbidity in terms of axillary pain, numbness and lymphedema. The first regional lymph nodes draining a primary tumor are the sentinel lymph nodes. Sentinel node biopsy is a promising surgical technique for predicting histological findings in the remaining axillary lymph nodes, especially in patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer, and a worldwide feasibility study is currently in progress. METHODS: Intraoperative lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy were performed in the axilla by subcutaneous injection of blue dye (indigocarmine) in 88 cases of stage 0-IIIB breast cancer. Sentinel lymph nodes were identified by detecting blue-staining lymph nodes or dye-filled lymphatic tracts after total or partial mastectomy. Finally, axillary lymph node dissection was performed up to Levels I and II or more. RESULTS: Sentinel lymph nodes were successfully identified in 65 of the 88 cases (74%). In the final histological examination, the sentinel lymph nodes in 40 cases were negative, including four cases with non-sentinel-node-positive breast cancer (specificity, 100%; sensitivity, 86%). In nine (31%) of the 29 cases with histologically node-positive breast cancer, the sentinel lymph nodes were the only lymph nodes affected. Axillary lymph node status was accurately predicted in 61 (94%) of the 65 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Although it was the initial experience at the National Cancer Center Hospital East, sentinel node biopsy proved feasible and successful. This method may be a reasonable alternative to the standard axillary lymph node dissection in patients with early breast cancer.     

乳腺癌超声特征与腋窝淋巴结转移相关性的研究进展

腋窝淋巴结状态影响着乳腺癌患者的治疗与预后,因此腋窝淋巴结的术前评估尤为重要。近年来许多研究发现,乳腺癌的常规超声、弹性成像及超声造影特征能够间接反映腋窝淋巴结的转移情况,可用于术前早期评估,避免不必要的前哨淋巴结活检。本文就乳腺癌超声特征与腋窝淋巴结转移间的相关性进行综述。     

早期乳腺癌腋窝亚LevelⅡ淋巴结清扫的初步研究

目的：探索基层医院早期乳腺癌腋窝淋巴结外科处理的适宜方法。方法：对9例符合研究条件的病例先美兰染色（meythylene blue staining）实施前哨淋巴结活检（sentinel lymph node biopsy,SLNB）,再补充实施腋窝淋巴结清扫术（axillary lymph node dissection,ALND）;ALND术中显露腋静脉,以腋静脉下2cm为界缝线标记,术后将标本从缝线处分离,对淋巴结进行分组取材,将前哨淋巴结、腋静脉下2cm内淋巴结（亚levelⅡ淋巴结）、腋窝其余淋巴结（其余淋巴结）分组送病理检查,观察各组淋巴结数量及肿瘤细胞腋淋巴结转移规律。结果：找到前哨淋巴结6例;5例前哨淋巴结、亚levelⅡ淋巴结、其余淋巴结均为阴性;1例前哨淋巴结、亚levelⅡ淋巴结、其余淋巴结均为阳性;另有1例患者前哨淋巴结未找到,而亚levelⅡ淋巴结检出阳性。结论：基层医院对于早期乳腺癌腋窝淋巴结清扫,可以用美兰染色行前哨淋巴结活检,若前哨淋巴结阳性或未找到前哨淋巴结,行ALND;若前哨淋巴结阴性,行亚levelⅡ淋巴结清扫。     

早期乳腺癌腋窝亚LevelⅡ淋巴结清扫的初步研究

目的:探索基层医院早期乳腺癌腋窝淋巴结外科处理的适宜方法。方法:对9例符合研究条件的病例先美兰染色(meythylene blue staining)实施前哨淋巴结活检(sentinel lymph node biopsy,SLNB),再补充实施腋窝淋巴结清扫术(axillary lymph node dissection,ALND);ALND术中显露腋静脉,以腋静脉下2cm为界缝线标记,术后将标本从缝线处分离,对淋巴结进行分组取材,将前哨淋巴结、腋静脉下2cm内淋巴结(亚levelⅡ淋巴结)、腋窝其余淋巴结(其余淋巴结)分组送病理检查,观察各组淋巴结数量及肿瘤细胞腋淋巴结转移规律。结果:找到前哨淋巴结6例;5例前哨淋巴结、亚levelⅡ淋巴结、其余淋巴结均为阴性;1例前哨淋巴结、亚levelⅡ淋巴结、其余淋巴结均为阳性;另有1例患者前哨淋巴结未找到,而亚levelⅡ淋巴结检出阳性。结论:基层医院对于早期乳腺癌腋窝淋巴结清扫,可以用美兰染色行前哨淋巴结活检,若前哨淋巴结阳性或未找到前哨淋巴结,行ALND;若前哨淋巴结阴性,行亚levelⅡ淋巴结清扫。     

乳腺癌新辅助化疗后腋窝局部处理策略

近年来,新辅助化疗在乳腺癌整体治疗中的地位越来越重要,新辅助化疗可以使部分腋窝淋巴结阳性的乳腺癌患者实现病理完全缓解,降期保腋成为可能。但目前对于新辅助化疗后淋巴结转阴的患者能否行前哨淋巴结活检来评估腋窝淋巴结状态仍然存在争议。新辅助化疗患者如何更加合理的选择腋窝处理方式是临床医师常面对的难题。本文通过梳理相应的临床研究,就乳腺癌新辅助化疗后腋窝局部处理策略进行综述。     

乳腺癌前哨淋巴结活检术前临床可疑腋淋巴结超声引导针吸细胞学检测的临床意义

目的:评估腋淋巴结可疑阳性的乳腺癌患者,在前哨淋巴结活检术前行超声引导腋淋巴结针吸细胞学检测的临床意义。方法:回顾性分析了257 例超声提示腋淋巴结异常或腋淋巴结临床查体可触及的原发性乳腺癌患者的腋淋巴结针吸细胞学检测结果及常规病理结果。结果:超声引导腋淋巴结针吸细胞学检测乳腺癌可疑腋淋巴结的敏感性、特异性、准确性、阳性预测值和阴性预测值分别为76.3% 、100% 、80.9% 、100% 和50.5% 。76.3% 的患者通过针吸细胞学检测准确地预测了腋淋巴结转移,避免了接受前哨淋巴结活检术。50.5% 的超声提示腋淋巴结异常但针吸细胞学阴性的患者可接受前哨淋巴结活检术替代腋淋巴结清扫术。结论:超声引导腋淋巴结穿刺针吸细胞学检测可快速、较为准确地判定乳腺癌患者腋淋巴结的状况,应该作为前哨淋巴结活检术前的筛查手段。      

Cigarette smoking and breast cancer risk: update of a prospective cohort study

SummaryIntroduction Ultrasound (US) preoperative examination of the axillary lymph nodes combined with the fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is often used in order to reduce the number of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy procedures in clinically node negative breast cancer patients. The pathohistological characteristics of the ultrasonically negative axillary lymph nodes in clinically negative axillary lymph nodes are not known. The aim of our study was to compare the pathohistological characteristics of ultrasonically uninvolved axillary lymph nodes (US group) versus clinically uninvolved axillary lymph nodes (non-US group) in SLN biopsy candidates.Methods We included 658 patients after SLN biopsy; 286 patients in the US group and 372 in the non-US group. The pathohistological characteristics of axillary lymph nodes were evaluated by univariate analysis and logistic regression.Results In the univariate analysis, the proportion of macrometastastic SLN, total number of metastatic lymph nodes per patient, proportion of nonsentinel lymph node (NSLN) metastases and proportion of NSLN macrometastases were found to be lower in the US group compared to the non-US group. In the logistic regression model, only US of the axilla (p=0.010; OR: 0.57) and tumor size were significant predictors for the presence of SLN macrometastases or macrometastatic NSLN (p<0.001; OR: 0.23).Conclusion The patients with US negative axillary lymph nodes form a distinct subgroup of early breast cancer patients having a significantly lower tumor burden in the axillary lymph nodes compared to those with only clinically negative axillary lymph nodes.     

Axillary surgery in breast cancer patients

Surgeons have routinely removed ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes from women with breast cancer for over 100 years. The procedure provides important staging information, enhances regional control of the malignancy and may improve survival. As screening of breast cancer has increased, the mean size of newly diagnosed primary invasive breast cancers has steadily decreased and so has the number of women with lymph node metastases. Recognising that the therapeutic benefit of removing normal nodes may be low, alternatives to the routine level I/II axillary lymph node dissection have been sought. A decade ago sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was introduced. Because of its high accuracy and relatively low morbidity, this technique is now widely used to identify women with histologically involved nodes prior to the formal axillary node dissection. Specifically, SLNB has allowed surgeons to avoid a formal axillary lymph node biopsy in women with histologically uninvolved sentinel nodes, while identifying women with involved sentinel nodes who derive the most benefit from a completion axillary node dissection. Despite the increasing use of SLNB for initial management of the axilla in women with breast cancer, important questions remain regarding patient selection criteria and optimal surgical methods for performing the biopsy. This article discusses the evolution of axillary node surgery for women with breast cancer.     

精准治疗理念下乳腺癌患者腋窝淋巴结的评估与处理

腋窝淋巴结状态是乳腺癌分期、治疗决策以及预后判断的重要依据。精准医疗时代的到来更突显了腋窝淋巴结状态评估的重要性。除查体、超声等常规检查外,乳腺核磁、PET/CT以及近红外荧光、超顺磁性氧化铁、光声造影剂等新方法也可提供指导,其中前哨淋巴结活检是最重要的检查方法。新的临床证据表明前哨淋巴结阴性和前哨淋巴结1~2枚阳性的患者可以免除腋窝淋巴结清扫。炎性反应指标的比值可能是预测淋巴结转移的有用指标。部分高龄患者可以免除腋窝手术并获得良好预后。本文将围绕腋窝淋巴结的评估方法和处理争议进行梳理和总结,以期为精准治疗理念下乳腺癌患者腋窝淋巴结的处理提供新的指导。     

Absence of ectopic epithelial inclusions in 3,904 axillary lymph nodes examined in sentinel technique

Intraoperative examination of sentinel axillary lymph nodes can be done by imprint cytology, frozen section, or, most recently, by PCR-based amplification of a cytokeratin signal. Using this technique, benign epithelial inclusions, representing mammary tissue displaced along the milk line, will likely generate a positive PCR signal and lead to a false-positive diagnosis of metastatic disease. To better appreciate the incidence of ectopic epithelial inclusions in axillary lymph nodes, we have performed an autopsy study, examining on 100 μm step sections 3,904 lymph nodes obtained from 160 axillary dissections in 80 patients. The median number of lymph nodes per axilla was 23 (15, 6, and 1 in levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively). A total of 30,450 hematoxylin-eosin stained slides were examined, as well as 8,825 slides immunostained with pan-cytokeratin antibodies. Despite this meticulous work-up, not a single epithelial inclusion was found in this study, suggesting that the incidence of such inclusions is much lower than the assumed 5% reported in the literature.     

核素淋巴显像识别前哨淋巴结在乳腺癌治疗中的应用

目的评价核素淋巴显像和γ探针定位在乳腺癌中确定前哨淋巴结(SLN)的应用价值,验证前哨淋巴结活检替代腋窝淋巴结清除术用于乳腺癌治疗的安全性与价值。方法选择1999年6月至2009年11月本院住院的女性乳腺癌患者206例(体检时腋窝均未扪及肿块),应用99Tcm-DX37～74 MBq或99Tcm-SC74 MBq经皮下注射,行核素淋巴显像后,术中注射专利兰1 ml和(或)术中用γ探针定位并行前哨淋巴结活检,与术中冰冻病理检查结果对照。若术中冰冻发现有前哨淋巴结转移,则行腋窝淋巴结清除术,若前哨淋巴结阴性,则不做腋窝淋巴结清除,术后定期随访。结果 206例乳腺癌术中成功活检SLN204例,成功率为99.0%(204/206)。本组有64例仅行SLN切除,术后病理检查证实64例SLN均阴性,故未行腋窝淋巴结清除,其中仅1例于术后1年时出现腋窝淋巴结转移,其余63例患者在随访期间均未发现腋窝淋巴结转移,也未出现同侧上肢水肿、感觉及活动异常;另140例行腋窝淋巴结清除,其中6例经病理证实SLN阳性但腋窝淋巴结为阴性,134例经病理证实SLN阳性35例,阴性99例,腋窝淋巴结阳性37例,阴性97例。核素淋巴显像和γ探针定位法的灵敏度为94.6%(35/37例),准确率为98.5%(138/140),假阴性为5.4%(2/37)。结论核素淋巴显像和γ探针定位应用于乳腺癌是切实可行和可能的,对预测腋窝淋巴结转移有很大的临床实用价值。如技术方法规范,早期乳腺癌前哨淋巴结活检则能取代常规的腋窝淋巴结清除术,乳腺癌手术上肢并发症的发生率可大大降低。     

染料法乳腺癌前哨淋巴结活检的多因素分析

目的:染料法是乳腺癌前哨淋巴结活检的方法之一,其成功率受多种因素影响.本研究旨在探讨影响染料法乳腺癌前哨淋巴结活检成功率的相关因素.方法:2007年1月-2008年8月乳腺癌患者141例,于乳晕周围注射1%亚甲蓝,实施前哨淋巴结活检,随后行腋窝淋巴结清扫,常规HE染色进行病理诊断.采用非条件logistic回归进行单因素和多因素分析.结果:126例患者检出前哨淋巴结,15例检测失败.前哨淋巴结活检成功率89.4%,假阴性率为6.82%.单因素分析结果显示,活检成功率与患者年龄、体质量指数(body mass index,BMI)、肿瘤大小、术前腋窝淋巴结状态、肿瘤分级及腋窝淋巴结阳性数≥4枚显著相关.多因素分析结果显示,年龄(OR=4.587,P=0.024)、BMI(OR=4.882,P=0.011)及腋窝淋巴结阳性数≥4枚(OR=3.143,P=0.013)是前哨淋巴结活检成功率的独立影响因素.结论:亚甲蓝示踪法是乳腺癌前哨淋巴结活检的可靠方法,其成功率与患者年龄、BMI和腋窝淋巴结转移数相关.     

Prognosis of breast cancer patients treated with sentinel node biopsy in Japan

BACKGROUND: Sentinel node biopsy predicts accurate pathological nodal staging. The survival of node-negative breast cancer patients should be evaluated between the patients treated with sentinel node biopsy alone and those treated with axillary lymph node dissection. METHODS: Ninety-seven patients with negative axillary nodes underwent sentinel node biopsy immediately followed by axillary lymph node dissection between January 1998 and June 1999 (the ALND group). Since then, if sentinel lymph nodes were negative on the frozen-section diagnosis, 112 patients underwent sentinel node biopsy alone without axillary lymph node dissection between July 1999 and December 2000 (the SNB group). We retrospectively observed the outcome of the two study groups. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 52 months in all patients. Relapse-free survival rates at 3 years in the ALND and SNB groups were 94% and 93%, respectively. Five of the 112 patients in the SNB group had overt axillary metastases. Three of them with axillary metastases alone were treated with delayed axillary lymph node dissection. These three patients have been free of other events for 3 years after local salvage treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Sentinel node biopsy will emerge as a standard method to diagnose axillary nodal staging for clinically node-negative breast cancer patients.     

乳腺癌前哨淋巴结活检的临床意义(附30例报告)

目的　探讨开展乳腺癌前哨淋巴结活检 (sentinellymphnodebiopsy ,SLNB)的必要性、可行性、准确性及临床应用价值。方法　术前在乳腺肿瘤下方注射 37MBq放射性胶体99mTc DX ,同时运用核素淋巴显像和γ计数器探测仪探测两种检测方法 ,识别出放射性同位素浓聚的前哨淋巴结(sentinellymphnode ,SLN) ,并用皮肤墨水在相应的皮肤上做出标记。术中根据体表标记切除SLN ,后行腋窝淋巴结解剖 (axilarylymphnodedissection ,ALND) ,两标本同时送病理检查 ,了解其符合率 ,并评价SLNB的可行性。结果　 30例均进行了SLN识别定位 ,活检后经病理检查有 2例错误。 1例未取到SLN ,故SLN的检出率为 96 .7% ;1例SLN病理呈假阴性。按目前国外SLNB的评价标准 ,本组SLNB的敏感度为 88.9% ,准确性为 93.3% ,假阳性率为 0 ,假阴性率为 11.1%。结论　乳腺癌SLNB目前在国内外仍处于研究阶段 ,随着研究的扩大与深入将可能取代常规的ALND。     

Is Necessary Intraoprative Frozen Section In Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy For Breast Cancer Patients?

Background: Improvements in the process of staging and surgical treatment of axillary lymph nodes in recent years, have led to the use of intra operative frozen section pathology to examine the sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: we evaluated the results of the Sentinel biopsy in 102 patients with early stage breast cancer, which were negative clinical lymph nodes, and analyzing the true positive and false negative rate, diagnostic accuracy of frozen section lymph node biopsy. It also studied the factors affecting the sentinel and non-sentinel lymph nodes in patients treated by axillary lymph dissection. Results: In this study, we investigated 102 patients’ stage 1and 2 breast cancer with clinical negative axillary lymph node and candidates for sentinel lymph node biopsy, were placed under investigation. 15.7 % of the real positive results of sentinel and 62.7 % of the real negative and 2 % false positives and 20.9 % false negative results and% 78. 4 diagnostic accuracy, has been frozen section. Among the patients who were initially or delayed in the axillary dissection, 37% had more than two lymph nodes. While in general, 16.7% of patients had a need for axillary lymph node dissection based on z11 criteria. Lymph-vascular invasion was a major contributor to lentil involvement in Sentinel and non-Sentinel nodes. Conclusion: Frozen section pathology during the operation of sentinel lymph node biopsy has been initiated to prevent the need for a reoperation in early stage breast cancer patients. However, due to low tumor burden in patients who are candidates for this procedure, and the constraints in the initial sections and their false negative results, also the removal of frozen section will not have an effect on the rate of increasing reoperation and can be effective in reducing the time and cost of surgery.     

Reappraisal of internal mammary node metastases as a prognostic factor in patients with breast cancer.

Clinical, histologic, and biologic prognostic factors were examined in 144 patients with invasive breast cancer. It was determined whether variable prognostic factors, especially internal mammary lymph node metastases, would serve as a basis for the prognosis of breast cancer. In a univariate study, overall survival was significantly correlated with tumor size, axillary lymph node status, axillary and internal mammary lymph node metastases, and DNA ploidy status. Especially among patients with one to three positive axillary nodes, survival in case of internal mammary involvement were significantly lower than without internal mammary involvement. In a multivariate study, only axillary and internal mammary lymph node metastases were recognized as important, independent prognostic factors of survival, but neither axillary lymph node status nor DNA ploidy status appeared as important prognostic factors. It was concluded that internal mammary lymph node metastases is additional prognostic factor, especially in patients with one to three positive axillary nodes. Because axillary and internal mammary lymph node metastases could not be predicted from their clinical assessment, axillary lymph node dissection and biopsy of internal mammary nodes may be a useful staging procedure for these patients.     

Will early detection of non-axillary sentinel nodes affect treatment decisions?

Axillary lymph node involvement is the best prognostic factor for breast cancer survival. Staging breast cancers by axillary dissection remains standard management and is part of the UK national guidelines for breast cancer treatment. In the presence of involved axillary lymph nodes best treatment has been shown to be axillary clearance (Fentiman and Mansell, 1991), but clearly for women whose nodes are uninvolved avoidance of morbidity is optimal and this will be achieved by minimal dissection of the axilla. Thus, for node-negative women the introduction of the sentinel node biopsy technique may revolutionise the approach to the axilla. These will be women with mammographic screen detected small well and moderately differentiated tumours (Hadjiloucas and Bundred, 2000). The impact of sentinel node biopsy in women who have symptomatic large tumours is unproven, and around half of these women will require a second procedure to clear their axilla or radiotherapy as treatment. Even for those women found to have involved sentinel lymph nodes the ability to use early systemic chemotherapy followed by axillary clearance or radiotherapy may provide long-term survival gains. Sentinel node biopsy should not, however, become routine practice until randomised controlled trials have proven its benefit and safety in reducing morbidity. Several randomised controlled trials (including ALMANAC) are currently underway.     

乳腔镜前哨淋巴结活检及腋窝淋巴结清扫的临床研究

目的:探讨乳腺癌在乳腔镜下行前哨淋巴结活检及腋窝淋巴结清扫的可行性。方法:通过亚甲蓝示踪对40例Ⅰ、Ⅱ期乳腺癌行乳腔镜前哨淋巴结活检(ESLNB),然后行乳腔镜腋窝淋巴结清扫(EALND),对获得的全部淋巴结行病理检查HE染色,确定前哨淋巴结(SLN)检出率、假阴性率等。结果:40例乳腺癌患者SLN检出率为97.44%(39/40),准确率为94.87%(37/39),灵敏度为94.74%(18/19),假阴性率5.26%(1/19);每例平均前哨淋巴结活检(SLNB)检出数目1-6枚,腋窝淋巴结清扫(ALND)检出数目10-29枚。结论:应用乳腔镜下前哨淋巴结活检和腋窝淋巴结清扫准确可行,美容效果好,并发症低,可对早期乳腺癌进行准确腋窝淋巴结分期。