title: Frozen section is superior to imprint cytology for the intra-operative assessment of sentinel lymph node metastasis in stage I breast cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A standard intra-operative procedure for assessing sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients has not yet been established.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirty-eight patients with stage I breast cancer who underwent sentinel node biopsy using both imprint cytology and frozen section were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen of the 138 patients had sentinel node involvement. Results of imprint cytology included nine false negative cases (sensitivity, 47.1%). In contrast, only two cases of false negatives were found on frozen section (sensitivity, 88.2%). There were two false positive cases identified by imprint cytology (specificity, 98.3%). On the other hand, frozen section had 100% specificity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that frozen section is superior to imprint cytology for the intra-operative determination of sentinel lymph node metastasis in stage I breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. miki.mori@jfcr.or.jp
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Keiichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Motoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikenaga
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyagi
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Masujiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makita
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwase
authors.forename: Fujio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kasumi
authors.forename: Mituru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koizumi