title: Evaluation of frozen-section analysis of surgical margins in the treatment of breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate surgical margins in cases of ductal carcinoma through a histopathological exam using frozen sections.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study encompassing 242 conservative surgeries, 179 of which included intraoperative frozen-section histopathology and 63 intraoperative nonfreezing techniques (macroscopy/gross examination and cytology). The results of such analyses were compared with those of the histology processing following paraffin embedment and hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining. A margin was deemed free when the distance between the tumor and the surgical border was equal to or greater than two millimeters. The factors given consideration for possibly affecting the results were: age, surgical aspects (skin removal and widening of surgical margins), histopathological findings (size, affected lymph nodes, and angiolymphatic invasion), and extensive intraductal and immunohistochemical components (estrogen, progesterone, Ki-67, and HER-2 receptors). In the statistical analyses, the chi-square test was used and negative predictive values were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The negative predictive values were 87.1% and 79.3% for frozen and nonfrozen sections, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.14). The factors under consideration had no influence on the results of the intraoperative exam of the margins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study allowed to conclude that the intraoperative exam of the surgical margins by frozen section is not superior to a macroscopy and/or cytology exam.
authors.affiliation: Gynecology Discipline, School of Medicine, USP, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novita
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Filassi
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Pincerato
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Filho
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Baracat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies