A comparative evaluation of ultrasound and frozen section analysis in predicting margin status after breast conservation surgery in patients with ultrasound-detectable breast cancer

The primary goal of breast conservation surgery (BCS) is to achieve tumour-free margins. However, it is known that in 20% patients, a tumour-free margin may not be obtained. Positive margins frequently lead to re-operation and are the strongest predictors of local recurrence. We therefore evaluated the performance of ultrasound (US) and frozen section (FS) in predicting the margin status of lumpectomy specimens of ultrasound-detectable breast carcinoma patients undergoing BCS. In our prospective study on 54 patients who underwent lumpectomy, the margins were analyzed by ultrasound and frozen section. Patient-wise and margin-wise diagnostic parameters were calculated for both modalities.