Breast surgery may be overtreatment when there is a complete response to systemic neoadjuvant treatment as determined clinically and by imaging. However the reliability of imaging techniques (ultrasound, mammography and magnetic resonance) in identifying complete response varies in published studies and surgery remains the preferred method of detecting residual disease. The aims of this study are: 1. To assess the reliability of minimally invasive preoperative image-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy (VAB) in identifying residual breast in cT1-cT2-cT3, cN0-cN1 breast cancer patients, either with complete clinical/radiological response, or with residual breast disease \<1 cm, after systemic neoadjuvant treatment. 2. To assess the reliability of minimally invasive preoperative image-guided needle biopsy in identifying residual axillary disease in cT1-cT2-cT3, cN0-cN1 breast cancer patients, either with complete clinical/radiological response, or with residual breast disease \<1 cm, after systemic neoadjuvant treatment. After neoadjuvant treatment, and evaluation with ultrasound, mammography and magnetic resonance, VAB will be performed on the breast, and needle biopsy will be performed on the axillary lymph node of pre-treatment cN1 cases, previously marked with a magnetic clip. The biopsy findings will be compared with the surgical findings, consisting in quadrantectomy or mastectomy plus sentinel node biopsy (or separate removal of tagged lymph nodes if they do not coincide with the sentinel node(s)) to assess the ability of biopsy to identify residual disease.
Age range
18 Years – 80 Years
Sex
FEMALE
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Evaluation of the accuracy of histological examination of the breast VAB performed pre-surgery
Timeframe: 40 days