Staging Investigations in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients: Are Clinically Significant and Rational?
Introduction: Multiple studies have demonstrated that the yield of imaging for distant metastatic disease is low in patients with early-stage breast cancer without signs and symptoms of metastatic disease. So, a study was carried out to assess the clinical significance and usefulness of staging investigations in newly diagnosed early-stage breast cancer patients.
Materials and method: A retrospective review of medical records of 171 patients with early-stage (stage I & II) breast cancer referred to the Tumor Board & Radiation Oncology department of NICRH and one private hospital after having surgery & adjuvant chemotherapy during the two-year period (January 2019-December 2020), were performed. The staging investigations the patients underwent perioperatively and the value of those in detecting metastasis were evaluated.