Guide wire surgery in breast cancer and why to avoid scissors

Case: A 58-year old woman presented with microcalcifications in her left breast. A biopsy showed a low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ. A tumorectomy was performed using a harpoon-shaped guide wire to remove the entire lesion. No additional therapy was given. Six months later during follow-up the mammography revealed that the distal end of the guide wire was still present in the left breast. Conclusion: When performing a tumorectomy using a guide wire, the completeness of the wire should be checked during surgery. Additionally cutting of the wire can be prevented by using a scalpel instead of scissors during surgery.

Guide wire; Breast cancer; Breast sparing surgery; Cancer; Multidisciplinary; Breast clinic.

[1] Kolpattil S., Crotch-Harvey M.: “Improved accuracy of wire-guided breast surgery with supplementary ultrasound”. Eur. J. Radiol., 2006, 60, 414.