Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2008;30(3):107-112
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032008005000005
PURPOSE: to evaluate which method is the best to determine pre-surgically the size of breast cancer: clinical examination, mammography or ultrasonography, using as a reference the anatomopathological exam. METHODS: this study has included 184 patients with palpable-or-not breast lesions, detected by mammography and ultrasonography, that were submitted to surgical resection of the tumor, with histopathological diagnosis of breast cancer. The same examiner evaluated clinically the largest tumoral diameter, through clinical examination, mammography and ultrasonography, and the measurements obtained by each method were correlated with the maximum diameter obtained by the anatomopathological exam. The comparative analysis has been done by Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). RESULTS: Pearson's correlation coefficient between the anatomopathological and the clinical exams was 0.8; between the anatomopathological exam and the mammography, 0.7; and between anatomopathological exam and ultrasonography 0.7 (p<0.05). Pearson's correlation coefficients among the methods evaluated were also calculated and r=0.7 was obtained between clinical exam and mammography, r=0.8 between clinical examination and utrasonograhy, and r=0.8 between mammography and ultrasonography (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: clinical examination, mammography and ultrasonography have presented high correlation with the anatomopathological measures, besides high correlations among themselves, what seems to show that they may be used as equivalent methods in the pre-surgical evaluation of the breast tumoral size. Nevertheless, due to specific limitations of each method, clinical examination, mammography and ultrasonography should be seen as complementary to each other, in order to obtain a more accurate measurement of the breast cancer tumor.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2007;29(9):446-451
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032007000900002
PURPOSE: to evaluate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients with the diagnosis of phantom breast syndrome or with phantom phenomena lonely. METHODS: it was conducted an observational, descriptive and sectional study enrolling 98 patients treated for breast cancer at Hospital São Marcos, Teresina (PI), Brazil. A standardized questionnaire was applied. RESULTS: the phantom breast syndrome was observed in 11.2% of the patients and phantom sensation alone was observed in 30% of the patients. The mean age of the patients was 54 years. Fifty-nine patients were married (60%) and 79.5% were analphabetic or had not concluded the high school. Emotional alterations were present in 67.4%, even though in 66.7% the libido was not changed after surgical procedure. As a relief factor of phantom pain, resting was cited by 90.9% of the patients, while physical exercises were mentioned to exacerbate the symptoms in 63.6% of the cases. The mean grade attributed to the pain in a 0 to 10 scale was 3, ranging from 1 to 7. Only 3% of the patients knew about the existence of this syndrome before the interviews. CONCLUSIONS: phantom phenomena are frequent in mastectomized patients, being necessary more studies to know about its characteristics and effects in these women's quality of life.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2007;29(8):428-434
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032007000800008
The surgical strategy for breast cancer treatment has changed considerably over the last decade. The breast conserving surgery (BCS) is the standard treatment for early stage breast cancer nowadays. With the current population breast cancer screening programs and the emerging use of systemic neoadjuvant therapy, an increasing number of patients have been eligible to BCS. However, several specific factors must be considered for the therapeutic planning for these patients. This review provides a surgical methodology overview for the BCS in breast carcinoma.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2007;29(7):366-369
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032007000700007
Fibroadenoma is the most frequent benign neoplasia in the female breast and it is considered a mixed tumor, constituted by variable amounts of connective and epithelial tissue. Cyclosporine A seems to be related with the development of mamary fibroadenomas in patients who underwent kidney transplantation in reproductive age. We reported the case in which the patient, in therapeutic use of cyclosporine A, after kidney transplantation, presented several bilateral lumps. The imaging and palpable findings suggested fibroadenoma, confirmed after biopsy.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2007;29(7):335-339
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032007000700002
PURPOSE: to evaluate the effect of raloxifene on breast cancer angiogenesis of menopausal women. METHODS: sixteen menopausal women with stage II (>3 cm) estrogen receptor positive operable breast cancer were enrolled in this study. Following confirmation of the diagnosis by incisional biopsy, the patients received 60 mg raloxifene daily for 28 days prior to the definitive surgery. Immunohistochemical study was performed on the sample tumors obtained during the biopsy for the diagnosis and evaluation of the status of estrogen receptor and during the definitive surgery. The anti-CD34 monoclonal antibody was used as a marker for endothelial cells. The vascular unit was considered as any endothelial cell or group of cells of a brownish color, clearly separated from adjacent microvessels, tumor cells or other connective tissue, forming or not lumen. Microvessel count was performed in ten fields of each slide using a 40X objective lens (400X magnification). A microscope coupled to a system of capture and analysis of image was used (Imagelab®). Statistical analysis of data was carried out using the paired Student t-test and significance level was established at p<0.05. RESULTS: mean numbers of anti-CD34 antibody-stained microvessels before and after raloxifene treatment were 44.4±3.5 and 22.6±1.6, respectively. A significant reduction in the number of microvessels following raloxifene therapy was observed (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: when administered as primary therapy for menopausal women with breast carcinoma, raloxifene significantly reduced tumoral angiogenesis.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2007;29(6):317-323
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032007000600007
PURPOSE: to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of core needle biopsy in suspicious solid breast masses (Bi-Rads™ 4 or 5) up to 10 mm. METHODS: this study was conducted on 83 women diagnosed with 90 suspicious solid lumps, all measuring up to 10 mm, identified by mammography (41), sonography (47) or palpation (two), who visited our clinic from September 2003 to January 2006. The lesions were biopsied with automatic device and 14 gauge needle (Bard, Corington, GA), all of them ultrasound guided. According to the pathological report, the biopsies were classified as true-positives, false-positives, true-negatives, and false-negatives. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound-guided core biopsy in breast masses up to 1 cm were calculated. RESULTS: the mean patient age was 52.5 years, and the mean diameter of the lesions was 7.3 mm, ranging from 3 to 10 mm. The results yielded by the pathologist showed 40 benign lesions (44.4%), 49 malignant lesions (54.4%) and one case (1.1%) of inconclusive material. This patient was submitted to ultrasound guided core needle biopsy once again, this time with conclusive results. There was agreement between histology and radiology in 89 cases. Sensitivity of ultrasound guided core biopsy for the diagnosis of breast cancer was 98.8 % and specificity 100%. CONCLUSIONS: the results obtained by ultrasound-guided core biopsy in suspicious breast lesions up to 10 mm are comparable to the best results of any kind of biopsy in the literature. Therefore, even solid lesions smaller or equal to 10 mm can be safely evaluated pathologically by core biopsy.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2007;29(6):291-296
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032007000600003
PURPOSE: loss of cutaneous sensitivity has been related to lesions of the intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) during the axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer treatment. We evaluated pain and cutaneous sensitivity in the ICBN dermatome of patients in which the nerve was preserved during the axillary dissection. METHODS: we carried out a prospective cohort study of 77 patients divided into: NP group (n=34), patients without ICBN preservation, and ICB group (n=43), patients in which the nerve was preserved. Cutaneous sensitivity was evaluated one year after surgery using 1) a modified McGill Pain Questionnaire; 2) clinical examination including brachial perimetry and evaluation of pain and tactile sensitivity; 3) Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments which allow an objective, qualitative, and quantitative evaluation of peripheral nerve lesions. RESULTS: pain was more frequently reported in the NP group (23/33) than in patients from the ICB group (17/42); p=0,012. Painful sensitivity was preserved in the majority of patients from the ICB group (38/42) but in only 11/33 patients from the NP group (p<0,01). There was no significant difference in the number of lymph nodes dissected between the two groups (p=0,06). CONCLUSIONS: patients with ICBN preservation had less pain and more preservation of cutaneous sensitivity, with no decreased number of axillary lymph nodes removed during the axillary dissection.