Tattooing breast cancers treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

In breast carcinomas treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, intraoperative identification of residual tumors may be difficult. A well-tolerated, low-diffusion charcoal suspension has been designed to tattoo breast tumors. In this study, we investigated whether this tattooing technique is efficient for localizing the tumor after treatment with chemotherapy.

METHODS:

In a series of 109 patients with large breast tumors, a 4% or 10% charcoal suspension was injected at the time of the initial biopsy before preoperative chemotherapy.

RESULTS:

Tolerance was good. After three or four cycles of chemotherapy, 91 patients underwent conservative treatment, and the surgical specimen was examined intraoperatively. The charcoal was detected in 94% of the cases. The charcoal was seen in the nodule or at the periphery in the surgical specimen without any acute inflammatory reaction or diffusion.

CONCLUSIONS:

On the basis of these results, this micronized charcoal suspension at a defined granulometry and a concentration of 10% seems to be ideal for tattooing breast carcinomas over a period of 3 months in patients in whom neoadjuvant chemotherapy is planned.

• Authors: Marie-Christine Mathieu, Laurence Bonhomme-Faivre, Roman Rouzier, Monique Seiller, Lise Barreau-Pouhaer, Jean-Paul Travagli
• Journal: Annals of surgical oncology (Ann Surg Oncol) Vol. 14 Issue 8 Pg. 2233-8 (Aug 2007) ISSN: 1068-9265 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17505861 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Suspensions
• Charcoal
• Vincristine
• Doxorubicin
• Cyclophosphamide
• Fluorouracil
• Methotrexate

Topics

• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
• Axilla (surgery)
• Biopsy, Needle
• Breast Neoplasms (diagnosis, drug therapy, pathology, surgery)
• Charcoal (adverse effects, chemistry)
• Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
• Cyclophosphamide (administration & dosage)
• Diffusion
• Doxorubicin (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Fluorouracil (administration & dosage)
• Humans
• Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
• Injections, Intralesional
• Mastectomy, Segmental
• Methotrexate (administration & dosage)
• Particle Size
• Suspensions
• Treatment Outcome
• Vincristine (administration & dosage)