Radioactive seed localization compared with wire-guided localization of non-palpable breast carcinoma in breast conservation surgery— the first experience in the United Kingdom

Objective:In the UK, guidewires have traditionally been used for localization of non-palpable breast lesions in patients undergoing breast conservation surgery (BCS). Radioactive seed localization (RSL) using Iodine-125 seeds is an alternative localization method and involves inserting a titanium capsule, containing radioactive Iodine-125, into the breast lesion. We aim to demonstrate feasibility of RSL compared with guidewire-localization (GWL) for BCS in the UK.Methods:Data were collected on 100 patients with non-palpable unifocal invasive carcinoma of the breast undergoing GWL WLE prior to the introduction of RSL and the first 100 patients treated with RSL WLE. Statistical comparisons were made using Χ2-squared analysis or unpaired two-sample t-test. Significance was determined to be at p ≤ 0.05.Results:Mean total tumour size was 19.44 mm (range: 5–55) in the GWL group and 18.61 mm (range: 3.8–59) in the RSL group (p = 0.548), while mean total specimen excision weight was significantly lower in the RSL...