Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33029707›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research and treatment2021

Enhanced axillary assessment using intradermally injected microbubbles and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) before neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NACT) identifies axillary disease missed by conventional B-mode ultrasound that may be clinically relevant.

Karina Cox, Nicky Dineen, Sian Taylor-Phillips, Nisha Sharma, Catherine Harper-Wynne, Deborah Allen, Jennifer Weeks, Ritchie Chalmers, Deepika Akolekar, Russell Burcombe and 2 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 52% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Karina CoxPeggy Wood Breast Unit, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ, UK. karina.cox@nhs.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1140-9333
Nicky DineenPeggy Wood Breast Unit, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ, UK.
Sian Taylor-PhillipsWMS-Population Evidence and Technologies, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
Nisha SharmaLeeds Breast Unit, St James's University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK.
Catherine Harper-WynneKent Oncology Centre, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ, UK.
Deborah AllenPeggy Wood Breast Unit, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ, UK.
Jennifer WeeksPeggy Wood Breast Unit, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ, UK.
Ritchie ChalmersPeggy Wood Breast Unit, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ, UK.
Deepika AkolekarPeggy Wood Breast Unit, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ, UK.
Russell BurcombeKent Oncology Centre, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ, UK.
Rema JyothirmayiKent Oncology Centre, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ, UK.
Ali SeverGuy's Breast Unit, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
Maidstone Hospital · GBGuy's Hospital · GBSt James's University Hospital · GBUniversity of Warwick · GB

Funding

Department of Health CDF-2016-09-018
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe purpose of this study is to measure pre-treatment diagnostic yield of malignant lymph nodes (LN) using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in addition to B-mode axillary ultrasound and compare clinicopathological features, response to NACT and long-term outcomes of patients with malignant LN detected with B-mode ultrasound versus CEUS.

methodsBetween August 2009 and October 2016, NACT patients were identified from a prospective database. Follow-up data were collected until May 2019.

results288 consecutive NACT patients were identified; 77 were excluded, 110 had malignant LN identified by B-mode ultrasound (Group A) and 101 patients with negative B-mode axillary ultrasound had CEUS with biopsy of sentinel lymph nodes (SLN). In two cases CEUS failed. Malignant SLN were identified in 35/99 (35%) of B-mode ultrasound-negative cases (Group B). Patients in Group A were similar to those in Group B in age, mean diagnostic tumour size, grade and oestrogen receptor status. More Group A patients had a ductal phenotype. In the breast, 34 (31%) Group A patients and 8 (23%) Group B patients achieved a pathological complete response (PCR). In the axilla, 41 (37%) and 13 (37%) Groups A and B patients, respectively, had LN PCR. The systemic relapse rate was not statistically different (5% and 16% for Groups A and B, respectively).

conclusionsEnhanced assessment with CEUS before NACT identifies patients with axillary metastases missed by conventional B-mode ultrasound. Without CEUS, 22 (63%) of cases in Group B (negative B-mode ultrasound) may have been erroneously classed as progressive disease by surgical SLN excision after NACT.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsMicrobubblesNeoadjuvant TherapySentinel Lymph Node BiopsyAxillaContrast MediaFemaleHumansLymph NodesNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalUltrasonographyContrast MediaAxillaAxillary imagingB-mode ultrasoundContrast-enhanced ultrasoundLymph node metastasesNeoadjuvant systemic therapySentinel lymph nodes

Identifiers

PMID33029707
OpenAlexW3092094675

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.