The role of pathologist during surgery non palpable lesions and safety ressection in quadrantectomy

ABSTRACT

The value of frozen section examination of non-palpable lesions and surgical margins in conserving-surgery is discussed. Although the aplication of such examination is controversial, we present the advantages of this method based on our experience in 95 wire-localized biopsies of nonpalpable mammographic abnormality and 60 conserving-surgery. The intra-surgical examination permitted the definitive diagnosis in 64 (86,5 per cent) of the cases of nonpalpable abnormality and determined the better extension of surgical procedure in 48,3 per cent of the quadrantectomies. The intra-surgical examination performed by qualified personell permits the control of adequade ressection avoiding the re-excision due to persistence of the radiological image or involved margins.