Risk factors of sentinel and non-sentinel lymph node metastases in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: A nationwide study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Risk factors of sentinel and non-sentinel lymph node metastases in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast

T2 - A nationwide study

AU - Holm-Rasmussen, Emil Villiam

AU - Jensen, Maj-Britt

AU - Balslev, Eva

AU - Kroman, Niels

AU - Tvedskov, Tove Filtenborg

N1 - Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2018/12

Y1 - 2018/12

N2 - Objectives: Unexplained axillary metastases have been detected in some patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), possibly because of occult invasion or iatrogenic tumor cell displacement. The significance of these metastases is unknown and brings into questions the need for upstaging and axillary surgery. What are the risk factors for sentinel lymph node (SN) and non-SN metastases, including the risk of iatrogenic displacement of tumor cells in relation to an excisional biopsy, in patients diagnosed with DCIS? Methods: Nationwide data on 1787 women diagnosed with DCIS between 2001 and 2015 were retrieved from the Danish Breast Cancer Group database. The association of clinicopathological variables with a positive SN (isolated tumor cells (ITCs), micro- or macrometastases) was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Of the 1787 patients, 71 (4.0%) had a positive SN: 15 (0.8%) had macrometastases, 42 (2.4%) had micrometastases, and 14 (0.8%) had ITCs. Five patients with a positive SN also had a positive non-SN. In adjusted analysis, a positive SN was associated with younger age (P = 0.036), increased size (P = 0.002), palpability (P = 0.0004) and surgical excisional biopsy (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The overall risk of a positive SN in patients with DCIS on final pathology is low and less than 9% of these patients had positive non-SNs. This argues against using axillary lymph node dissection in this group. The odds of positive SN after surgical excisional biopsies showed more than a four-fold increase, indicating iatrogenic tumor cell displacement. It is questioned whether these patients should be upstaged and classified as having invasive carcinoma.

AB - Objectives: Unexplained axillary metastases have been detected in some patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), possibly because of occult invasion or iatrogenic tumor cell displacement. The significance of these metastases is unknown and brings into questions the need for upstaging and axillary surgery. What are the risk factors for sentinel lymph node (SN) and non-SN metastases, including the risk of iatrogenic displacement of tumor cells in relation to an excisional biopsy, in patients diagnosed with DCIS? Methods: Nationwide data on 1787 women diagnosed with DCIS between 2001 and 2015 were retrieved from the Danish Breast Cancer Group database. The association of clinicopathological variables with a positive SN (isolated tumor cells (ITCs), micro- or macrometastases) was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Of the 1787 patients, 71 (4.0%) had a positive SN: 15 (0.8%) had macrometastases, 42 (2.4%) had micrometastases, and 14 (0.8%) had ITCs. Five patients with a positive SN also had a positive non-SN. In adjusted analysis, a positive SN was associated with younger age (P = 0.036), increased size (P = 0.002), palpability (P = 0.0004) and surgical excisional biopsy (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The overall risk of a positive SN in patients with DCIS on final pathology is low and less than 9% of these patients had positive non-SNs. This argues against using axillary lymph node dissection in this group. The odds of positive SN after surgical excisional biopsies showed more than a four-fold increase, indicating iatrogenic tumor cell displacement. It is questioned whether these patients should be upstaged and classified as having invasive carcinoma.

KW - Adult

KW - Breast Neoplasms/pathology

KW - Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/pathology

KW - Clinical Protocols/standards

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Lymph Nodes/pathology

KW - Lymphatic Metastasis/pathology

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Neoplasm Staging

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Sentinel Lymph Node/pathology

U2 - 10.1016/j.breast.2018.09.004

DO - 10.1016/j.breast.2018.09.004

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30257226

SN - 0960-9776

VL - 42

SP - 128

EP - 132

JO - The Breast

JF - The Breast

ER -