Perioperative screening for metastatic disease is not indicated in patients with primary breast cancer and no clinical signs of tumor spread.
BACKGROUND
Is a perioperative metastatic screening program indicated in patients presenting with primary operable breast cancer and no signs of distant metastases?


METHODS
The impact of staging results (chest X-ray, bone scanning, liver ultrasound) for prognosis, treatment, quality of life and costs was retrospectively analyzed in 1076 patients with an operable breast cancer and no clinical signs of metastases.


RESULTS
Staging examinations revealed 30 (2.8%) distant metastases, 130 (12.1%) suspect findings and excluded metastases in 916 (85.1%) patients. Further diagnostic procedures confirmed distant metastases in 7 (5.4%) and excluded them in 123 (94.6%) out of 130 patients with suspect findings. Distant metastases were detected more frequently with increasing pathological tumor size (pT < or = 2.0 cm: 1.6%, pT 2.1-5.0 cm: 3.0%, respectively pT > 5.0 cm: 15.1%; p < 0.001) and increasing number of involved axillary lymph nodes (pN0: 1.9%, pN1-3+: 1.8%, pN4-9+: 4.0%, pN > or = 10+: 18.7%; p < 0.001). Due to false positive findings 123 (11.4%) patients had to live for a significant period of time with the psychological distress of suspected metastatic disease. The abandonment of a perioperative screening in 1076 patients saves costs of at least Euros 259,367.68.


CONCLUSIONS
In breast cancer patients without clinical signs of tumor spread perioperative screening for metastases is not warranted because of low frequency of metastases, false positive findings, missing therapeutic consequences and high costs.
Gerber
Bernd
B
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Klinikum Innenstadt, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany. bernd.gerber@fk-i.med.uni-muenchen.de
Seitz
Eva
E
Müller
Heiner
H
Krause
Annette
A
Reimer
Toralf
T
Kundt
Günther
G
Friese
Klaus
K
D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler