Metasin-an intra-operative RT-qPCR assay to detect metastatic breast cancer in sentinel lymph nodes.

ABSTRACT: Nodal status is one of the most important prognostic factors in breast cancer. Established tests such as touch imprint cytology and frozen sections currently used in the intra-operative setting show variations in sensitivity and specificity. This limitation has led to the development of molecular alternatives, such as GeneSearch, a commercial intra-operative real-time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) assay that allows the surgeon to carry out axillary clearance as a one-step process. Since GeneSearch has been discontinued, we have developed the replacement Metasin assay, which targets the breast epithelial cell markers CK19 and mammaglobin mRNA and identifies metastatic disease in sentinel lymph nodes. The optimised assay can be completed within 32 min (6 min for RNA prepar

SUBMITTER: Al-Ramadhani S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3742166 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature