Comparing operative techniques for non-palpable breast tumours: Wire-guided localisation vs LOCaliser

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Wire-guided localisation (WGL) has been the standard operative technique for non-palpable breast tumours. LOCaliser is an alternative method, with a clinical effectiveness that may be equal to the standard while providing additional benefits regarding the patient experience. Method(s) A single-centre, retrospective study of WGL vs LOCaliser from January 2020 to December 2021. We collected demographic and outcome data from electronic records. The primary outcome was rates of complications, this included seromas, haematomas, pain and re-excisions. Secondary outcomes included operative time. Result(s) 21 WGL and 16 LOCaliser patients were identified. The average age was similar between the two groups (62 vs 61;P=0.291). There were fewer complications in the LOCaliser group, however without statistical significance (1 vs 5;P=0.206). The LOCaliser group had less re-excisions (1 vs 5;P=0.206), with 3 of 5 patients requiring 2 margins to be re-excised in the WGL group. There was no difference in the operative time between the two groups (107 minutes vs 104 minutes;P=0.070), sub-group analysis was not done to compare axillary node clearances and sentinel lymph node biopsies. Conclusion(s) LOCaliser is as effective if not superior to WGL when measuring clinical outcomes. The data did not demonstrate statistical significance, however demonstrated differences which could become significant with larger patient cohorts. LOCaliser prevented the need for pre-operative procedures, which was particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic as it reduced patient exposure and hospital attendances prior to surgery. A larger scale audit and assessing patients' experiences by collection patient reported outcomes measures (PROM) would be beneficial. Copyright © 2022