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A comparative evaluation of ultrasound and frozen section analysis in predicting margin status after breast conservation surgery in patients with ultrasound-detectable breast cancer

  • 0Senior Resident, Department of General Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India.
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September 5, 2025

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September 5, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Ultrasound and frozen section accurately predict tumor-free margins in breast conservation surgery. This helps avoid re-operations and local recurrence for breast cancer patients.

Area Of Science

  • Oncology
  • Surgical Pathology
  • Radiology

Background

  • Achieving tumor-free margins is critical in breast conservation surgery (BCS).
  • Positive margins occur in 20% of BCS cases, often necessitating re-operation and increasing local recurrence risk.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US) and frozen section (FS) in predicting margin status for lumpectomy specimens.
  • To assess the effectiveness of US and FS in guiding intraoperative decisions during BCS for ultrasound-detectable breast cancers.

Main Methods

  • Prospective study involving 54 patients undergoing BCS for ultrasound-detectable breast carcinoma.
  • Analysis of lumpectomy margins using both intraoperative ultrasound and frozen section.
  • Calculation of patient-wise and margin-wise diagnostic parameters for US and FS.

Main Results

  • Both ultrasound and frozen section demonstrated significant accuracy in predicting margin status.
  • Detailed diagnostic parameters (sensitivity, specificity, etc.) were calculated for each modality.
  • The study provides quantitative data on the performance of US and FS in BCS.

Conclusions

  • Ultrasound and frozen section are valuable tools for assessing margin status during BCS.
  • Accurate intraoperative margin assessment can potentially reduce re-operation rates and improve local recurrence outcomes.
  • Further research can explore optimizing the combined use of US and FS in BCS.

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