title: [Analysis of detecting value of ultrasound and the clinic-pathological features of axillary metastasis in breast cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the value of ultrasound (US) in predicting axilla status and to investigate the clinic pathologic characters in the axillary node metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From June 2012 to June 2013, 323 female primary breast cancer patients who received both axilla ultrasound and pathology examinations were reviewed retrospectively. The features of axillary nodes including diameter, longitudinal-transverse axis ratio, cortical thickness and blood flow grade were used to evaluate axillary status. US accuracy of axillary node metastasis was analyzed correlated with the final pathology results. The clinical and histological features associated with axillary node metastasis was analyzed by χ² test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportions of Luminal A-like, Luminal B-like, human epidermalgrowth factor receptor-2 positive and triple negative breast cancer were 11.1% (36/323), 58.5% (189/323), 13.3% (43/323) and 17.0% (55/323) . The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of axilla US in the diagnosis of nodal metastasis were 35.6% (46/129), 98.9% (181/183), 95.8% (46/48) and 68.6% (181/264). Axillary lymph node metastasis had statistically significant correlation with menopausal status and clinical tumor size (χ² = 4.337, 11.100; P = 0.037, 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standardized ultrasound is the basic way to evaluate axilla status. Sentinel lymph node biopsy should be done to acquire accurate preoperative staging of axilla when US shows no signs of metastasis. Axillary lymph node metastasis is significantly related to menopausal status and clinical tumor size, but not significantly related to subtype classification of primary breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Disease Center, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.affiliation: Email: chenluzeng@126.com.
authors.forename: Luzeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xuening
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Yinhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D014463:Ultrasonography