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Breast cancer patients with micrometastases only: Is a basis provided for tailored treatment?

Grabau, Dorthe LU (2008) In Surgical Oncology 17. p.211-217
Abstract
Women with breast cancer and micrometastases only constitute a treatment dilemma. If only a micrometastasis is found in a sentinel lymph node, an axillary lymph node dissection may be considered to be overtreatment and perhaps could be avoided. However, studies have shown decreased survival in patients with micrometastases only. This paper focuses on the pathological work-up behind the classification of breast cancer patients having micrometastases only and on the most recent literature concerning prognosis for breast cancer patients with micrometastases. The goal was to determine if studies to date have been able to define a population of breast cancer patients with micrometastases where the size of the metastasis could indicate whether... (More)
Women with breast cancer and micrometastases only constitute a treatment dilemma. If only a micrometastasis is found in a sentinel lymph node, an axillary lymph node dissection may be considered to be overtreatment and perhaps could be avoided. However, studies have shown decreased survival in patients with micrometastases only. This paper focuses on the pathological work-up behind the classification of breast cancer patients having micrometastases only and on the most recent literature concerning prognosis for breast cancer patients with micrometastases. The goal was to determine if studies to date have been able to define a population of breast cancer patients with micrometastases where the size of the metastasis could indicate whether an axillary lymph node dissection should be undertaken. Tailored surgical treatment of breast cancer patients with micrometastases only is not possible at the present time, due to lack of standardization in the pathological work-up of lymph nodes, which implies that this group of breast cancer patients cannot be delimited with sufficient precision. Tailored systemic therapy is also impossible due to lack of a precisely defined target for a feasible therapy. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Surgical Oncology
volume
17
pages
211 - 217
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000259913600008
  • pmid:18501593
  • scopus:50049100630
  • pmid:18501593
ISSN
0960-7404
DOI
10.1016/j.suronc.2008.04.006
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
37262f35-94d5-450d-9fea-4defeaabf129 (old id 1153801)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18501593?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 08:34:53
date last changed
2023-01-05 08:41:50
@article{37262f35-94d5-450d-9fea-4defeaabf129,
  abstract     = {{Women with breast cancer and micrometastases only constitute a treatment dilemma. If only a micrometastasis is found in a sentinel lymph node, an axillary lymph node dissection may be considered to be overtreatment and perhaps could be avoided. However, studies have shown decreased survival in patients with micrometastases only. This paper focuses on the pathological work-up behind the classification of breast cancer patients having micrometastases only and on the most recent literature concerning prognosis for breast cancer patients with micrometastases. The goal was to determine if studies to date have been able to define a population of breast cancer patients with micrometastases where the size of the metastasis could indicate whether an axillary lymph node dissection should be undertaken. Tailored surgical treatment of breast cancer patients with micrometastases only is not possible at the present time, due to lack of standardization in the pathological work-up of lymph nodes, which implies that this group of breast cancer patients cannot be delimited with sufficient precision. Tailored systemic therapy is also impossible due to lack of a precisely defined target for a feasible therapy.}},
  author       = {{Grabau, Dorthe}},
  issn         = {{0960-7404}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{211--217}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Surgical Oncology}},
  title        = {{Breast cancer patients with micrometastases only: Is a basis provided for tailored treatment?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.suronc.2008.04.006}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.suronc.2008.04.006}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}