[Effectiveness of cytological diagnosis of breast cancer metastases in regional lymph nodes].

Results are presented of preoperative and intraoperative cytological diagnosis of breast cancer metastases in regional lymph nodes in 84 patients. Of them in 42 there was studied material of fine-needle aspiration biopsy, in 42 - smears of sentinel lymph nodes. In all cases cytohistological comparisons were carried out. The effectiveness of cytological examination of material of fine-needle aspiration biopsy was 90.5%. Urgent cytology of smears of sentinel lymph nodes allowed revealing metastases in 5 of 10 patients. The use of immunohistochemical examination increases the likelihood of detection of micrometastases and isolated tumor cell clusters.