The study was limited by the fact that the sham lumpectomy specimens did not contain skin or muscle, which would have allowed for more accurate margin orientation in an actual operative setting; by lack of compression of specimens with small nonpalpable lesions in containers, which further distorts specimens; and by the use of smaller lumpectomy specimens than normally obtained during cancer surgery, which could have resulted in overestimation of the discordance that might occur when larger specimens are taken, Dr. Arnaout said.
“The conclusion of our study is that specimen margin orientation really should be defined by the surgeon who knows the original shape and orientation of the tissue during surgery, and not to rely on the pathology to reorient based on some sutures placed in the centers of the specimens without defining the extent of the surface area of each of the margins,” she said.
The Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute and the Canadian Surgical Research Fund supported the study. Dr. Arnaout and coauthors reported no conflicts of interest.