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The value of bone marrow biopsy in breast cancer at time of diagnosis. A prospective study
Author(s) -
Ceci Guido,
Franciosi Vittorio,
Nizzoli Rita,
De Lisi Vincenzo,
Lottici Renata,
Boni Corrado,
Di Blasio Beatrice,
Passalacqua Rodolfo,
Guazzi Annamaria,
Cocconi Giorgio
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19880101)61:1<96::aid-cncr2820610116>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - medicine , bone marrow , biopsy , breast cancer , prospective cohort study , radiology , cancer , breast carcinoma , skeleton (computer programming) , carcinoma , pathology , anatomy
Bone marrow biopsies (BMB) were performed in 173 consecutive unselected breast cancer patients at the time of diagnosis to define the value of this diagnostic tool in the initial staging of mammary carcinoma. In a group of 160 patients with a negative standard staging work‐up, BMB was positive in two (1%). Both of them had negative x‐ray but bone scan was positive in one and doubtful in the other. Bone marrow biopsy was positive in 31% of 13 additional patients with metastatic disease and in 44% of the nine among them with radiologically involved skeleton. These results exclude that BMB is able to discover micrometastatic foci of neoplastic disease. Its positivity appears strictly correlated with that of bone x‐ray and scan. Based on the results of this prospective study, BMB is not required when both bone survey and scan are negative, but could be useful in clarifying diagnostic doubts of skeletal involvement.