[Axillary ultrasound for a breast cancer patient and changing international treatment practices]

We explored the effects of novel treatment practices on radiological examinations of the axilla in Finland.

Axillary ultrasound was performed for 178 new breast cancer patients preoperatively. A core biopsy was taken from the suspected lymph nodes, and the finding was compared with the postoperative results.

Ultrasound in combination with the core biopsy detects 61.6% of the macrometastases. Ultrasound detected almost all axilla having a high tumor burden.

Preoperative axillary ultrasound and core biopsy for suspected lymph nodes before the operation is still recommended for all breast cancer patients. Frozen section examination of the sentinel lymph node can be omitted if preoperatively the primary tumour is unifocal, less than 15mm and the axillary ultrasound finding negative.