The current state of surgical pathology of the breast--the practice in our department
Kawabata, K.; Watanabe, K.; Ozaki, S.; Tsuda, H.
Rinsho Byori. Japanese Journal of Clinical Pathology 41(10): 1081-1090
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1860 PMID: 8254955 Document Number: 412454
The following developments have considerably influenced the pathological management of breast materials: The wide use of aspiration cytology, increase of specimens from small non palpable lesions detected by mammography, an increase of cases difficult to diagnose histologically, increase in the number of conservative surgery cases which require examination of semi-serial sections, and the development of immunohistochemical procedures using breast cancer tissues. Under these changing circumstances in the department of pathology, we report our current practices and some of the results; About 75% of breast cancer cases initially treated in our hospital were diagnosed by aspiration cytology only. A retrospective, simulation study on quadrantectomy of breast cancers for selected T1N0N1a examined by semi-serial sections in non-conservative mastectomy cases revealed residual carcinoma foci located in a region outside the primary quadrant in about 25% cases. GCDFP-15 (Gross cystic disease fluid protein-15) is a fairly specific marker for breast cancer. Good correlation was obtained using estrogen and progesterone receptors routinely measured by ICA (Immunocytochemical assay), instead of the biochemical method using DCC (Dextran-coated charcoal). c-erbB-2 and p53 which were positive in 45.8%, and 28.6%, respectively, in our breast cancer cases, seemed to be good markers of biological malignancy in the breast cancer.