Indicadores de calidad en cáncer de mama / Quality indicators in breast cancer surgery

Introduction: although clear guidelines for breast cancer management have been developed and widespread, there are many variations between centers and even among breast cancer surgeons, with impact in clinical outcomes. Use of quality indicators to assess surgical care allows comparison with standards and with other centers and monitoring changes post intervention. Objective: to apply quality indicators to breast cancer surgery and evaluate usefulness. Material and Methods: selected indicators obtained from EUSOMA 2008 workshop were applied to 213 consecutive surgical treatment breast cancer patients from Hospital Militar de Santiago de Chile between 2006 and 2011, comparing results with previously defined standards. Results: benign/malignant index in surgical biopsies: 1: 2.27 (minimum standard: 1/2; Optimum: 1/4), patients with complete pathologic report percentage: 99,2 percent (minimum: 95 percent, optimum: 98 percent), breast conserving surgery percentage: 80.20 percent (minimum: 70 percent, optimum: 80 percent), patients with sufficient axillary sampling percentage: 92.4 percent (minimum: 95 percent, optimum: 98 percent), correct axillary dissection indication percentage: 100 percent (minimum: 95 percent, optimum: 98 percent) and patients who underwent single surgery percentage: 90.40 percent (minimum: 80 percent, optimum: 90 percent), most of them ranged between established standards. Conclusion: the use of quality indicators allows breast cancer surgery result evaluation, enabling comparison between centers and established standards, giving objective and reproducible information, helpful to plan process optimization. These or similar indicators are useful in all breast cancer treatment steps and for breast cancer unit accreditation processes. Our indicator values that are under the standard reveal that some specific local indicators are required.

Introducción: aunque existen guías clínicas ampliamente difundidas para el manejo del cáncer de mama, las variaciones entre centros impactan en los resultados. El uso de indicadores de calidad, permite compararse con estándares, con otros centros y evaluar los cambios posteriores a una intervención. Objetivos: aplicar indicadores de calidad al tratamiento quirúrgico del cáncer de mama evaluando su utilidad. Material y Métodos: se aplicó indicadores de calidad a 213 pacientes consecutivos sometidos a cirugía por cáncer de mama en el Hospital Militar de Santiago entre mayo/2006 y abril/2011, comparando los resultados con estándares. Resultados: se calculó: índice benignidad/malignidad en biopsias quirúrgicas: 1:2,27 (mínimo 1:2; óptimo 1:4), porcentaje pacientes con informe patológico completo 99,2 por ciento (mínimo: 95 por ciento, óptimo: 98 por ciento), porcentaje cirugía conservadora 68,42 por ciento (mínimo: 70 por ciento, óptimo: 80 por ciento), porcentaje pacientes con muestreo axilar suficiente 92,40 por ciento (mínimo: 95 por ciento, óptimo: 98 por ciento), porcentaje pacientes con indicación adecuada de disección axilar 100 por ciento y porcentaje pacientes que requirió una sola cirugía 90,40 por ciento (mínimo: 80 por ciento, óptimo: 90 por ciento). La mayoría cumplió los estándares establecidos. Conclusión: la utilización de indicadores de calidad permite evaluar resultados a través del tiempo, compararse con otros centros, y con los estándares establecidos. Proporciona información objetiva y reproducible que permite evidenciar los puntos críticos en los procesos y focalizarse en ellos. El uso de indicadores de calidad puede ampliarse a todas las etapas del tratamiento del cáncer de mama y servir para unificar criterios en acreditación. El análisis de los valores que resultaron bajo el estándar reveló la necesidad de proponer nuevos indicadores útiles a nivel local.

Cancer de mama oculto: dos casos clínicos analizados según el concepto actual / Occult breast cancer: Report of two cases

Occult breast cancer is expressed as a metastatic axillary lymph node without clinical or imaging evidence of a primary tumor in the breast. The old concept involved non palpable tumors. Its incidence is low, representing only 0.3 to 1 percent of all breast cancer cases. The search for the primary tumors is performed with mammography, whose sensitivity is low, ranging from 0 to 56 percent. Several studies have shown a higher sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging, ranging from 85 to 100 percent, to detect occult lesions. The treatment of isolated axillary metastases of breast cancer is controversial. An axillary dissection is recommended. If there is a suspicious image, a radiosurgical or stereotaxic biopsy should be done. However, in patients without radiological lesions in the breast, the tendency is not to perform a radical mastectomy as previously recommended, since the primary tumor will not be found in the surgical specimen in two thirds of cases. A superior and external quadrantectomy or exclusive radiotherapy should suffice. An expecting behavior is not recommended as a therapeutic alternative. Treatment should be complemented with hormonal therapy or chemotherapy. The literature suggests that prognosis is better than stage II, with a ten years survival ranging from 50 to 71 percent. We report two patients with a well defined occult breast cancer and based on them, a review of the subject is attempted. Considering its prognosis, physicians should be aware of this uncommon and difficult to diagnose disease.