Detectability of Hygroscopic Clips Used in Breast Cancer Surgery

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Sonographically detectable clips have emerged as a valuable tool in breast cancer management over the past decade.
• Accurate tumor localization is crucial for effective surgical resection, especially for non-palpable lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the detectability rate and duration of sonographically detectable clips in breast cancer patients.
• To assess the utility of these clips in both neoadjuvant chemotherapy and non-neoadjuvant settings.
• To determine the impact of clips on intraoperative localization and reoperation rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of patients with breast cancer who underwent sonographically detectable clip insertion over a 2-year period.
• Analysis of clip detectability at various time points post-insertion, including up to 187 days.
• Review of intraoperative sonographic localization procedures and reoperation outcomes.

Main Results:

• All clips remained sonographically detectable for 140 to 187 days in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
• Intraoperative sonographic localization using clips resulted in a low reoperation rate (17% in the neoadjuvant group, 9% in the non-neoadjuvant group).
• One case demonstrated clip utility in identifying a suspicious lymph node, with no reported complications or clip migration.

Conclusions:

• Sonographically detectable clips are a reliable and durable method for marking breast cancer lesions.
• These clips facilitate intraoperative localization, potentially reducing reoperations and improving surgical efficiency.
• The clips offer significant benefits in breast cancer surgery, irrespective of neoadjuvant chemotherapy status, by simplifying localization and scheduling.