Occult metastases in node-negative breast cancer: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results−based analysis

Prognostic value of isolated tumour cells in sentinel lymph nodes in early-stage breast cancer: a prospective study

“…While some studies have considered ITCs to have prognostic significance, 10,17,[19][20][21] others have not found such an association. 9,[11][12][13][22][23][24] The controversial results may, in part, be explained with the good short-term prognosis in pN0 breast cancer, and the relatively small number of survival events. However, as we found in the present and a previous study in this patient population, 17 the number of survival events continues to increase with longer follow-up.…”

“…9,10 Although it is evident that patients with only ITCs in their SNs do not benefit from an ALND, the long-term prognostic significance of ITCs and their impact on the decision-making regarding the need of adjuvant therapy is unclear. [10][11][12][13][14][15] To assess the clinical significance of ITCs, we aimed to investigate in the present study the long-term prognostic importance of ITCs in a large population-based cohort of patients with early nodenegative breast cancer.…”

Identification of occult micrometastases and isolated tumour cells within regional lymph nodes of previously diagnosed non‐metastatic (stage 0) canine carcinomas

“…In contrast, the prognostic value of micrometastases and ITC has become a topic of recent importance, particularly with the advancement of sentinel lymph node extirpation and identification of small volume metastatic foci. The body of literature regarding the prognostic significance of occult metastases, micrometastases, and isolated tumour cells within human mammary carcinomas is vast and heterogeneous due in large part to an overall lack in consistent histologic sampling and evaluation across institutions. Several large‐scale prospective studies, however, have documented significant differences in disease‐free survival, and overall survival, disease‐free survival and distant‐disease‐free‐survival in women with micrometastatic or occult metastatic lymph nodes, respectively, as compared with node‐negative patients.…”

“…Accurate identification of the correct lymph nodes(s) to sample has led to the development of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping techniques, in which injection of vital dye, most commonly coupled with regional and intraoperative lymphoscintigraphy, is used for identification of the first lymph node in a chain documented to drain the tumour bed . In certain human cancers, specifically breast cancer, as well as recently in canine mast cell tumours, implementation of SLN mapping techniques has led to more rigorous histologic assessment of excised lymph nodes, resulting in an overall increased detection of small metastatic tumour deposition . In humans, these small metastatic foci have been further defined as micrometastases and isolated tumour cells (ITCs) .…”

“…The prognostic relevance of occult metastases, micrometastases and isolated tumour cells has been extensively evaluated in human cancers including non‐small‐cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer, with varied results and recommendations. Recent retrospective studies in human patients with colorectal cancer and non‐small‐cell lung cancer demonstrate increased risk of disease recurrence and poorer survival with occult disease and overall worse disease‐free survival, respectively.…”