J Korean Soc Ultrasound Med.  2010 Dec;29(4):281-286.

Usefulness of Ultrasound and Ultrasound-guided Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy for Axillary Staging in Breast Cancer: Analysis of 327 patients at a single institution

• Jang M
• Kim SM
• Lyou CY
• Moon WK
• Cho N
• Kang E
• Kim SW
• Park SY
• Kim JH
• Kim YJ

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound (US) and US-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for the diagnosis of metastasis in the axillary lymph node (LN) of patients with breast cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A retrospective review of the data was performed on 327 breast cancer patients that underwent axillary US from Jun 2006 to July 2008. US-guided FNAB was performed when a LN indicated suspicious findings. Results of FNAB were compared with those of subsequent surgery.
RESULTS
Of the 327 patients, 111 showed suspicious findings on US and underwent FNAB. Among the 111 cases, 73 (66%) were positive for cancer, while 38 (34%) were negative results. A Total of 254 patients who had normal findings on US (n=216) and negative results on FNAB (n=38) underwent SNB, of which 56 (22%) were proven to have metastasis. Sensitivity and specificity of US were 61.9% and 81.8%, respectively, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 65.8% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 79.2%. Sensitivity and specificity of US-guided FNAB were 86.9% and 100%, respectively, with a PPV of 100% and a NPV of 71.7%.
CONCLUSION
US and US-guided FNAB performed for axillary staging are useful methods with a high specificity and positive predictive value in invasive breast cancer patients.

Keyword

Breast neoplasm; Ultrasound(US); Axilla; Lymph nodes; Fine needle aspiration

MeSH Terms

Axilla
Biopsy
Biopsy, Fine-Needle
Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Humans
Lymph Nodes
Neoplasm Metastasis
Retrospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity