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Computer simulations of lymph node metastasis for optimizing the pathologic examination of sentinel lymph nodes in patients with breast carcinoma

  1. Gelareh Farshid M.B.B.S.1,†,*,
  2. Malcolm Pradhan M.B.B.S., Ph.D.2,
  3. James Kollias M.B.B.S.3,
  4. P. Grantley Gill M.D.3

Article first published online: 20 DEC 2000

DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(20001215)89:12<2527::AID-CNCR3>3.0.CO;2-6

Issue

Cancer

Cancer

Volume 89, Issue 12, pages 2527–2537, 15 December 2000

Additional Information

How to Cite

Farshid, G., Pradhan, M., Kollias, J. and Gill, P. G. (2000), Computer simulations of lymph node metastasis for optimizing the pathologic examination of sentinel lymph nodes in patients with breast carcinoma. Cancer, 89: 2527–2537. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(20001215)89:12<2527::AID-CNCR3>3.0.CO;2-6

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Pathology, University of Adelaide, and the Division of Tissue Pathology, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Adelaide, South Australia

  2. 2

    Health Informatics Unit, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia

  3. 3

    Breast Endocrine and Surgical Oncology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia

  1. †

    fax: 618-82223204

*Department of Pathology, University of Adelaide, and the Division of Tissue Pathology, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Frome Road, Adelaide, South Australia 5000

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 20 DEC 2000
  2. Article first published online: 20 DEC 2000
  3. Manuscript Revised: 18 AUG 2000
  4. Manuscript Accepted: 18 AUG 2000
  5. Manuscript Received: 28 FEB 2000

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Keywords:

  • sentinel lymph node;
  • breast carcinoma;
  • histology;
  • staging

The detection of lymph node metastases is highly dependent on the sampling methods used to look for them. A computer model of a sentinel lymph node is used to compare the efficacy and cost of various pathologic sampling strategies.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Many empiric protocols are used to detect metastases in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), but comparison of the efficacy of these methods is impractical because tissue is lost in processing, making reassessment with another policy difficult. Consequently, performance indicators of this test are largely unknown.

DESIGN

The authors retrospectively examined 112 SLNs removed from 89 patients with breast carcinoma treated at the authors' institution and used the histologic data to devise a mathematic model of a SLN with Matlab modeling software. The authors simulated examination of this computer-generated (virtual) lymph node according to several macroscopic and histologic sampling protocols and for each protocol assessed the probability of detecting micrometastases of specified sizes. The authors used published costing figures to estimate the cost of the policies.

RESULTS

Direct comparison of 6 sectioning strategies currently in use by pathology laboratories showed the chances of detecting a 500-μm metastasis ranged from 20% to 75%. Four of the 6 protocols had a less than 30% chance of detecting metastases of this size. The detection rate of smaller metastases was poorer. Cost was not a good discriminator because some policies were more efficient than others.

CONCLUSIONS

The detection of metastases is highly dependent on the methods used to look for them. The authors' simulations suggest that commonly used methods of examining lymph nodes have high false-negative rates, particularly for small metastases. There is an urgent need for pathologists and clinicians to agree on the minimum size of SLN metastases that will be sought by histology and set standard methods for examining these lymph nodes. Cancer 2000;89:2527–37. © 2000 American Cancer Society.

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