Intraoperative Frozen Section Analysis for Margin Status in Breast Conserving Therapy: a Retrospective 6-Year Experience at a Tertiary Centre in North East India

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among Indian women as it is globally. Margin status post lumpectomy remains an important predictor of local recurrence after breast conserving surgery. We set out to investigate the positive predictive value of intra operative frozen section analysis in a tertiary cancer center in North East India. Retrospective data from all women who underwent breast conserving Surgery (BCS) from 2017 to 2022 was included. Frozen section analysis reports were compared against final pathology reports. Comparison was in regard to margin status. Two hundred ten women underwent BCT, and mean age was 49.5 years. The sensitivity and specificity of frozen section was 92.5% (86.2-95.64% 95% CI) and 99.8% (62.23-99.9% 95% CI) respectively. The PPV and NPV was 94.8% (87.09-99.86% 95% CI) and 99.8% (95.53-99.9% 95 CI). Our analysis showed an accuracy of 99.63% (95.22-99.96%, 95% CI). We concluded that frozen section analysis is accurate and has a high positive predictive value and negative predictive value for margin status in breast conserving surgery.