Surgical Approach to Breast Cancer Flashcards
What is the gold standard for breast cancer screening?
- mammogram (two views: CC and MLO) of each breast.
What is the only difference between a screening and diagnostic mammogram?
- diagnostic is looked at by the pathologist on the same day it is performed.
*** What is the chance of a screening mammogram missing a breast cancer?
- 15%
What is the good/bad thing about breast MRI?
- very SENSITIVE, but not very specific. Use for known BRCA mutation.
- so higher false positive rate and much more expensive.
Is breast ultrasound a good tool to check a breast lump?
YES to evaluate PE findings, the axilla, and to guide biopsy.
What is the rationale for using ultrasound?
- mammograms detect 98% of cancers in fatty breast but less than half in dense breast tissue.
Why do we also do clinical breast exams?
- to pick up cancers missed on mammography.
- pick up interval cancers (between mammograms).
- pick up cancer in a population who isn’t getting regular mammograms.
What are the elements of a good clinical breast exam?
- observation (retraction, asymmetry, edema, erythema).
- palpation
- multi-positional study (upright and supine of all 4 qudrants).
What are some elements of a good breast exam?
- documentation of size, distance from nipple, and location on the clock.
- document plan of action: imaging and referrals.
- make sure there is a follow up.
How large must a tumor be to be detected by mammography?
- 1 cm
Should we still encourage self breast exams?
YES bc it encourages good self-health and care.
What is the gold standard biopsy modality?
- minimally invasive biopsy
* will place marker to help us guide future biopsies if needed.
What is a stereotactic biopsy?
- uses mammography to precisely identify and biopsy an abnormality within the breast. It is done with the patient prone with a stereotactic piece of titanium placed as a marker.
What is the basic staging of breast cancer?
- 0= noninvasive (DCIS)
- 1= less than 2 cm
- 2= greater than 2 cm or positive nodes.
- 3= locally advanced
- 4= metastatic
What labs/imaging should we order for breast cancer?
- CXR, LFTs, +/- bone scan
- CT chest, abdomen, pelvis or Pet/CT for stage III