title: Seroma Cytology in Breast Cancer: An Underappreciated Issue.
abstract: The presence of malignant cells in postoperative seroma has been ignored in current breast cancer treatment. We aimed to assess the presence of malignant seroma cytology and to evaluate its relationship with the known prognostic factors for breast cancer.
  
  
  
  The solution from irrigation of the operation field and postoperative drainage fluid from 68 patients were prospectively collected and examined for malignant cytology. The results were evaluated according to the tumor characteristics and patient demographics.
  
  
  
  Malignant cytology was found in none of the intraoperative samples but was found in the postoperative samples from 4 patients. Of these 4 patients, 3 were free of axillary metastasis. None of the common risk factors for breast cancer was associated with the finding of malignant cytology.
  
  
  
  Malignant cells can be seen in the drainage fluids from breast cancer patients independent of any contamination occurring during surgery, even in those without axillary metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: oaytac@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Huseyin Ozgur
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Aytac
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tarik Zafer
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Nursal
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Çolakoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Filiz Aka
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Bolat
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gökhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moray
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D000071036:Sentinel Lymph Node / Q000473:pathology; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D049291:Seroma / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy
keywords: Drain cytology; Free cancer cells; Local recurrence; Lymph node; Sentinel node