Difference between revisions of "Surgical margins"

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[[Image:Urothelial_carcinoma_positive_margin_-_alt_--_high_mag.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A positive surgical margin ([[ink]] on tumour) in [[urothelial carcinoma]]. [[H&E stain]].]]
[[Image:Positive_margin_with_cautery_artefact_-_adenocarcinoma_-_high_mag.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A positive surgical margin (tumour with [[cautery artifact]]) in [[colorectal carcinoma]]. [[H&E stain]].]]
The '''surgical margins''', often simply referred to as '''margins''', are the set of surfaces that were cut by the surgeon in order to remove the specimen from the body.  The distance between the tumour and the margin is called the '''surgical clearance''', a term that may be used interchangeably with the term ''surgical margin''.<ref name=pmid8443747>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Ng | first1 = IO. | last2 = Luk | first2 = IS. | last3 = Yuen | first3 = ST. | last4 = Lau | first4 = PW. | last5 = Pritchett | first5 = CJ. | last6 = Ng | first6 = M. | last7 = Poon | first7 = GP. | last8 = Ho | first8 = J. | title = Surgical lateral clearance in resected rectal carcinomas. A multivariate analysis of clinicopathologic features. | journal = Cancer | volume = 71 | issue = 6 | pages = 1972-6 | month = Mar | year = 1993 | doi =  | PMID = 8443747 }}</ref> Margins are important as an incompletely removed disease process may lead to re-occurrence.
The '''surgical margins''', often simply referred to as '''margins''', are the set of surfaces that were cut by the surgeon in order to remove the specimen from the body.  The distance between the tumour and the margin is called the '''surgical clearance''', a term that may be used interchangeably with the term ''surgical margin''.<ref name=pmid8443747>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Ng | first1 = IO. | last2 = Luk | first2 = IS. | last3 = Yuen | first3 = ST. | last4 = Lau | first4 = PW. | last5 = Pritchett | first5 = CJ. | last6 = Ng | first6 = M. | last7 = Poon | first7 = GP. | last8 = Ho | first8 = J. | title = Surgical lateral clearance in resected rectal carcinomas. A multivariate analysis of clinicopathologic features. | journal = Cancer | volume = 71 | issue = 6 | pages = 1972-6 | month = Mar | year = 1993 | doi =  | PMID = 8443747 }}</ref> Margins are important as an incompletely removed disease process may lead to re-occurrence.


Most often, positive margins, i.e. surgical margins with disease present ''or'' "very close", suck. For example, in locally advanced [[rectal cancer]], in one study,<ref name=pmid17614249>{{cite journal |author=Larsen SG, Wiig JN, Dueland S, Giercksky KE |title=Prognostic factors after preoperative irradiation and surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer |journal=Eur J Surg Oncol |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=410–7 |year=2008 |month=April |pmid=17614249 |doi=10.1016/j.ejso.2007.05.012 |url=}}</ref> five year survival was found to be 60%, 31% and 0% for R0 (no tumour at the margin), R1 (microscopic tumour at the margin), and R2 (macroscopic tumour at the margin) resections respectively.
What defines a positive surgical margin is dependent on the tumour and its biology; the definitions for a positive margin are often dependent on (1) the anatomical [[site]] of the tumour and (2) the tumour type.


What defines a positive surgical margin is dependent on the tumour and its biology.
==Significance==
Most often, positive margins, i.e. surgical margins with disease present ''or'' "very close", are non-optimal. For example, in locally advanced [[rectal cancer]], in one study,<ref name=pmid17614249>{{cite journal |author=Larsen SG, Wiig JN, Dueland S, Giercksky KE |title=Prognostic factors after preoperative irradiation and surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer |journal=Eur J Surg Oncol |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=410–7 |year=2008 |month=April |pmid=17614249 |doi=10.1016/j.ejso.2007.05.012 |url=}}</ref> five year survival was found to be 60%, 31% and 0% for R0 (no tumour at the margin), R1 (microscopic tumour at the margin), and R2 (macroscopic tumour at the margin) resections respectively.


==Types of margins==
==Types of margins==
*''En face''.
*''En face'' (formally ''en face margin'').
**Sample the complete surface.
**Sample the complete surface.
**No information about the distance between the margin and lesion can be obtained.
**No information about the distance between the margin and lesion can be obtained at microscopy, i.e. from the glass slide.
*''On edge'', [[AKA]] ''perpendicular margin'', as the cut to prepare the tissue for microscopic examination is perpendicular to the cut from the surgeon.
*''On edge'' (formally ''on edge margin''), [[AKA]] ''perpendicular margin'', as the cut to prepare the tissue for microscopic examination is perpendicular to the cut from the surgeon.
**Sample a subset of the surface.
**Sample a subset of the surface.
**The distance between the margin and lesion can be measured.
**The distance between the margin and lesion can be measured at microscopy, i.e. on the glass slide.
Note:
*It should ''always'' be clear from the ''[[Principles of grossing|gross description]]'' which type of margin was taken; this is especially important for cases that were not [[submitted in total]].
 
==Positive margin definition==
Unfortunately, there is no universal definition for ''positive margin''.
 
Definitionally, there is agreement that "tumour touching the edge of the specimen" is a ''positive margin''.<ref name=pmid26028131>{{cite journal |authors=Chagpar AB, Killelea BK, Tsangaris TN, Butler M, Stavris K, Li F, Yao X, Bossuyt V, Harigopal M, Lannin DR, Pusztai L, Horowitz NR |title=A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Cavity Shave Margins in Breast Cancer |journal=N Engl J Med |volume=373 |issue=6 |pages=503–10 |date=August 2015 |pmid=26028131 |pmc=5584380 |doi=10.1056/NEJMoa1504473 |url=}}</ref><ref name=pmid16509840/>
 
It may be useful to differentiate ''pathologic margin [status]'' (tumour touching inked margin) and ''oncologic margin [status]'' (tumour sufficiently clear of margin to not significantly affect the prognosis).  Oncologists, surgeons and patients really only care about ''oncologic margin [status]'' for relatively obvious reasons.
 
Perhaps confusing is that: ''a [pathologically] clear margin'' may be defined as being ''[oncologically] a positive margin'', e.g. tumour ''not'' touching the ink of an inked margin - but less than 1 mm from the ink - may be a "positive margin".<ref name=pmid16509840>{{cite journal |authors=Scopa CD, Aroukatos P, Tsamandas AC, Aletra C |title=Evaluation of margin status in lumpectomy specimens and residual breast carcinoma |journal=Breast J |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=150–3 |date=2006 |pmid=16509840 |doi=10.1111/j.1075-122X.2006.00223.x |url=}}</ref>


==Adequate margin==
==Adequate margin==
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{| class="wikitable sortable"  
{| class="wikitable sortable"  
!Tumour  
!Tumour  
!Pathologic margin
!Adequate pathologic margin
!Clinical margin
!Adequate clinical margin
!System
!System
|-
|-
| [[Colorectal carcinoma]]  
| [[Colorectal carcinoma]]  
| >=1 mm;<ref name=pmid12077094>{{Cite journal | last1 = Petersen | first1 = VC. | last2 = Baxter | first2 = KJ. | last3 = Love | first3 = SB. | last4 = Shepherd | first4 = NA. | title = Identification of objective pathological prognostic determinants and models of prognosis in Dukes' B colon cancer. | journal = Gut | volume = 51 | issue = 1 | pages = 65-9 | month = Jul | year = 2002 | doi =  | PMC = 1773289 | PMID = 12077094 | URL = http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1773289/ }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Fitzgerald | first1 = TL. | last2 = Brinkley | first2 = J. | last3 = Zervos | first3 = EE. | title = Pushing the envelope beyond a centimeter in rectal cancer: oncologic implications of close, but negative margins. | journal = J Am Coll Surg | volume = 213 | issue = 5 | pages = 589-95 | month = Nov | year = 2011 | doi = 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2011.07.020 | PMID = 21856181 }}</ref><ref name=pmid2430152>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Quirke | first1 = P. | last2 = Durdey | first2 = P. | last3 = Dixon | first3 = MF. | last4 = Williams | first4 = NS. | title = Local recurrence of rectal adenocarcinoma due to inadequate surgical resection. Histopathological study of lateral tumour spread and surgical excision. | journal = Lancet | volume = 2 | issue = 8514 | pages = 996-9 | month = Nov | year = 1986 | doi =  | PMID = 2430152 }}</ref> circumferential margin (esp. in rectal carcinoma) most important<ref name=pmid7915774>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Adam | first1 = IJ. | last2 = Mohamdee | first2 = MO. | last3 = Martin | first3 = IG. | last4 = Scott | first4 = N. | last5 = Finan | first5 = PJ. | last6 = Johnston | first6 = D. | last7 = Dixon | first7 = MF. | last8 = Quirke | first8 = P. | title = Role of circumferential margin involvement in the local recurrence of rectal cancer. | journal = Lancet | volume = 344 | issue = 8924 | pages = 707-11 | month = Sep | year = 1994 | doi =  | PMID = 7915774 }}</ref>
| >1 mm;<ref name=pmid37722286>{{cite journal |authors=Smith HG, Schlesinger NH, Qvortrup C, Chiranth D, Lundon D, Ben-Yaacov A, Caballero C, Suppan I, Kok JH, Holmberg CJ, Mohan H, Montagna G, Santrac N, Sayyed R, Schrage Y, Sgarbura O, Ceelen W, Lorenzon L, Brandl A |title=Variations in the definition and perceived importance of positive resection margins in patients with colorectal cancer - an EYSAC international survey |journal=Eur J Surg Oncol |volume=49 |issue=11 |pages=107072 |date=November 2023 |pmid=37722286 |doi=10.1016/j.ejso.2023.107072 |url=}}</ref> circumferential margin (esp. in rectal carcinoma) most important<ref name=pmid7915774>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Adam | first1 = IJ. | last2 = Mohamdee | first2 = MO. | last3 = Martin | first3 = IG. | last4 = Scott | first4 = N. | last5 = Finan | first5 = PJ. | last6 = Johnston | first6 = D. | last7 = Dixon | first7 = MF. | last8 = Quirke | first8 = P. | title = Role of circumferential margin involvement in the local recurrence of rectal cancer. | journal = Lancet | volume = 344 | issue = 8924 | pages = 707-11 | month = Sep | year = 1994 | doi =  | PMID = 7915774 }}</ref>
| 1 cm<ref name=pmid18766404>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Rutkowski | first1 = A. | last2 = Bujko | first2 = K. | last3 = Nowacki | first3 = MP. | last4 = Chmielik | first4 = E. | last5 = Nasierowska-Guttmejer | first5 = A. | last6 = Wojnar | first6 = A. | title = Distal bowel surgical margin shorter than 1 cm after preoperative radiation for rectal cancer: is it safe? | journal = Ann Surg Oncol | volume = 15 | issue = 11 | pages = 3124-31 | month = Nov | year = 2008 | doi = 10.1245/s10434-008-0125-6 | PMID = 18766404 }}</ref>
| 1 cm<ref name=pmid18766404>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Rutkowski | first1 = A. | last2 = Bujko | first2 = K. | last3 = Nowacki | first3 = MP. | last4 = Chmielik | first4 = E. | last5 = Nasierowska-Guttmejer | first5 = A. | last6 = Wojnar | first6 = A. | title = Distal bowel surgical margin shorter than 1 cm after preoperative radiation for rectal cancer: is it safe? | journal = Ann Surg Oncol | volume = 15 | issue = 11 | pages = 3124-31 | month = Nov | year = 2008 | doi = 10.1245/s10434-008-0125-6 | PMID = 18766404 }}</ref>
| [[Gastrointestinal pathology]]
| [[Gastrointestinal pathology]]
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|-  
|-  
| [[Ductal carcinoma in situ]]
| [[Ductal carcinoma in situ]]
| [[ink]] cannot be on tumour - consensus of Society of Surgical Oncology-American Society for Radiation Oncology (for low stage tumours)<ref name=pmid24521674>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Moran | first1 = MS. | last2 = Schnitt | first2 = SJ. | last3 = Giuliano | first3 = AE. | last4 = Harris | first4 = JR. | last5 = Khan | first5 = SA. | last6 = Horton | first6 = J. | last7 = Klimberg | first7 = S. | last8 = Chavez-MacGregor | first8 = M. | last9 = Freedman | first9 = G. | title = Society of Surgical Oncology-American Society for Radiation Oncology consensus guideline on margins for breast-conserving surgery with whole-breast irradiation in stages I and II invasive breast cancer. | journal = Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys | volume = 88 | issue = 3 | pages = 553-64 | month = Mar | year = 2014 | doi = 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2013.11.012 | PMID = 24521674 }}</ref>
|
|
| > 2mm<ref>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Dunne | first1 = C. | last2 = Burke | first2 = JP. | last3 = Morrow | first3 = M. | last4 = Kell | first4 = MR. | title = Effect of margin status on local recurrence after breast conservation and radiation therapy for ductal carcinoma in situ. | journal = J Clin Oncol | volume = 27 | issue = 10 | pages = 1615-20 | month = Apr | year = 2009 | doi = 10.1200/JCO.2008.17.5182 | PMID = 19255332 }}</ref>; if < 1 mm patient benefits from radiation<ref name=pmid10320383>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Silverstein | first1 = MJ. | last2 = Lagios | first2 = MD. | last3 = Groshen | first3 = S. | last4 = Waisman | first4 = JR. | last5 = Lewinsky | first5 = BS. | last6 = Martino | first6 = S. | last7 = Gamagami | first7 = P. | last8 = Colburn | first8 = WJ. | title = The influence of margin width on local control of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast. | journal = N Engl J Med | volume = 340 | issue = 19 | pages = 1455-61 | month = May | year = 1999 | doi = 10.1056/NEJM199905133401902 | PMID = 10320383 }}</ref>
| [[Breast pathology]]
| [[Breast pathology]]
|-
|-
| [[Invasive breast cancer|Invasive breast carcinoma]]
| [[Invasive breast cancer|Invasive breast carcinoma]]
| cannot be at margin - no consensus beyond that;<ref name=pmid12433599>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Singletary | first1 = SE. | title = Surgical margins in patients with early-stage breast cancer treated with breast conservation therapy. | journal = Am J Surg | volume = 184 | issue = 5 | pages = 383-93 | month = Nov | year = 2002 | doi =  | PMID = 12433599 }}</ref> no statistical difference between 1 and 2 mm margins for Stage I & II tumours<ref name=pmid18767118>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Hardy | first1 = K. | last2 = Fradette | first2 = K. | last3 = Gheorghe | first3 = R. | last4 = Lucman | first4 = L. | last5 = Latosinsky | first5 = S. | title = The impact of margin status on local recurrence following breast conserving therapy for invasive carcinoma in Manitoba. | journal = J Surg Oncol | volume = 98 | issue = 6 | pages = 399-402 | month = Nov | year = 2008 | doi = 10.1002/jso.21126 | PMID = 18767118 }}</ref>
| ink cannot be on tumour - consensus of Society of Surgical Oncology-American Society for Radiation Oncology (for low stage tumours)<ref name=pmid24521674>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Moran | first1 = MS. | last2 = Schnitt | first2 = SJ. | last3 = Giuliano | first3 = AE. | last4 = Harris | first4 = JR. | last5 = Khan | first5 = SA. | last6 = Horton | first6 = J. | last7 = Klimberg | first7 = S. | last8 = Chavez-MacGregor | first8 = M. | last9 = Freedman | first9 = G. | title = Society of Surgical Oncology-American Society for Radiation Oncology consensus guideline on margins for breast-conserving surgery with whole-breast irradiation in stages I and II invasive breast cancer. | journal = Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys | volume = 88 | issue = 3 | pages = 553-64 | month = Mar | year = 2014 | doi = 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2013.11.012 | PMID = 24521674 }}</ref>
|
|
| [[Breast pathology]]
|-
|-
| [[Sarcoma]]
| [[Sarcoma]]
Line 54: Line 70:
|
|
| [[Sarcoma]]
| [[Sarcoma]]
|-
| [[Prostate carcinoma]]
| tumour not touching ink - "close" margins have a higher biochemical recurrence<ref name=pmid22578729>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Lu | first1 = J. | last2 = Wirth | first2 = GJ. | last3 = Wu | first3 = S. | last4 = Chen | first4 = J. | last5 = Dahl | first5 = DM. | last6 = Olumi | first6 = AF. | last7 = Young | first7 = RH. | last8 = McDougal | first8 = WS. | last9 = Wu | first9 = CL. | title = A close surgical margin after radical prostatectomy is an independent predictor of recurrence. | journal = J Urol | volume = 188 | issue = 1 | pages = 91-7 | month = Jul | year = 2012 | doi = 10.1016/j.juro.2012.02.2565 | PMID = 22578729 }}</ref>
|
| [[Genitourinary pathology]]
|-
| [[Renal cell carcinoma]]
| tumour not touching ink; positive margins get clinical follow-up as recurrences are uncommon<ref name=pmid22136987>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Marszalek | first1 = M. | last2 = Carini | first2 = M. | last3 = Chlosta | first3 = P. | last4 = Jeschke | first4 = K. | last5 = Kirkali | first5 = Z. | last6 = Knüchel | first6 = R. | last7 = Madersbacher | first7 = S. | last8 = Patard | first8 = JJ. | last9 = Van Poppel | first9 = H. | title = Positive surgical margins after nephron-sparing surgery. | journal = Eur Urol | volume = 61 | issue = 4 | pages = 757-63 | month = Apr | year = 2012 | doi = 10.1016/j.eururo.2011.11.028 | PMID = 22136987 }}</ref>
|
| [[Genitourinary pathology]]
|-
| [[Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin]]
|
| 4 mm, 6 mm for high risk<ref name=pmid1430364>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Brodland | first1 = DG. | last2 = Zitelli | first2 = JA. | title = Surgical margins for excision of primary cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. | journal = J Am Acad Dermatol | volume = 27 | issue = 2 Pt 1 | pages = 241-8 | month = Aug | year = 1992 | doi =  | PMID = 1430364 }}</ref>
| [[Dermatopathology]]
|-
| [[Urothelial carcinoma]]
| tumour not touching ink<ref  name=pmid17936804>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Dotan | first1 = ZA. | last2 = Kavanagh | first2 = K. | last3 = Yossepowitch | first3 = O. | last4 = Kaag | first4 = M. | last5 = Olgac | first5 = S. | last6 = Donat | first6 = M. | last7 = Herr | first7 = HW. | title = Positive surgical margins in soft tissue following radical cystectomy for bladder cancer and cancer specific survival. | journal = J Urol | volume = 178 | issue = 6 | pages = 2308-12; discussion 2313 | month = Dec | year = 2007 | doi = 10.1016/j.juro.2007.08.023 | PMID = 17936804 }}</ref>
|
| [[Genitourinary pathology]]
|- <!--
|Tumour
|Pathologic margin
|Clinical margin
|System -->
|}
|}
==Fragmented and incised specimens==
There is limited advice on how to deal with a fragmented or incised specimen.
If the specimen can be "put back together", it is reasonable to assess the margin and comment on the limitation.
The ''College of American Pathologists'' synoptic for invasive breast carcinoma (version 4.3.0.1) states:<ref>URL: [https://documents.cap.org/protocols/cp-breast-invasive-resection-19-4301.pdf https://documents.cap.org/protocols/cp-breast-invasive-resection-19-4301.pdf]. Accessed on: 2022 January 12.</ref>
:''If the specimen is received sectioned or fragmented, this should be noted, as this will limit the ability to evaluate the status of margins.''
==Microscopic==
Features of the true margin:
*Irregular/non-linear appearance.
DDx:
*Cut at the grossing bench (by the pathologist/pathology assistant/pathology resident) post-[[fixation]] - these are usually straight.
*Artifactal cleft/separation.
Note:
*The surgeon's cut is irregular due to loading during extraction and fixation effects.
===Images===
<gallery>
Image: Surgeons cut at microscopy - extremely low mag.jpg | True margin - surgeon's cut (left of image) - extremely low mag. (WC)
Image: PAs cut at microscopy - extremely low mag.jpg | Pathology assistant's cut (right of image) - extremely low mag. (WC)
</gallery>
==Sign out==
===Stray ink versus true positive===
====True positive====
<pre>
COMMENT:
Ink is seen very focally on a fragment of tumour in A21-1. Inspection of
the tissue block shows ink on the surface of the tissue fragment with the
positive margin; this essentially excludes that what is interpreted as a
positive margin could represent stray ink.
</pre>
====Stray ink====
<pre>
COMMENT:
The margin assessment is suboptimal as the specimen was cut prior to
inking. Ink on tumour in this context may represent stray ink on tumour
or a true positive margin.
Ink is focally present on tumour in this case and it is favoured to
represent stray ink, as the quantity of ink is minimal; however, margin
positivity cannot be completely excluded.
</pre>
===A re-excised (previously) positive margin is negative for tumour===
It occasionally happens that a re-excised margin specimen is negative for tumour.
<pre>
The lack of tumour in Part B may be explained by either of the following:
(1) There was minimal clearance (<1 mm) in Part A that was not sampled.
(2) The sampling of Part B missed minimal tumour involvement.
</pre>
Note:
*One should review the positive margin call to ensure it isn't an overall.
===Tumour in tip - flipped block===
<pre>
Lesion, Right Upper Lid, Excision:
    - BASAL CELL CARCINOMA, favour clear margin (see comment).
Comment:
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is present in the block 3 tip, on the initial cut. The tissue was re-embedded and BCC is seen on the recut. BCC is clear of the inked margin. Thus, the margin is favoured to be clear; however, out-of-plane margin involvement cannot be excluded.
</pre>
===Alternate===
<pre>
Lesion, Right Lower Eyelid, Excision:
    - BASAL CELL CARCINOMA (BCC), cannot exclude positive margin, see comment.
Comment:
BCC was found in block 1 (one of the tips) on the initial cut.
In block 1, BCC is present but distant from the inked margin in the plane
of section. The margin is not completely in the plane of section; thus,
trimming of a negative margin cannot be entirely excluded. As BCC is seen
on both sides of the block, a positive cannot be excluded.
</pre>


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Basics]].
*[[Basics]].
*[[Frozen section]].
*[[Frozen section]].
*[[Crush artifact]].
*[[Marking ink]].


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 05:38, 9 January 2024

A positive surgical margin (ink on tumour) in urothelial carcinoma. H&E stain.
A positive surgical margin (tumour with cautery artifact) in colorectal carcinoma. H&E stain.

The surgical margins, often simply referred to as margins, are the set of surfaces that were cut by the surgeon in order to remove the specimen from the body. The distance between the tumour and the margin is called the surgical clearance, a term that may be used interchangeably with the term surgical margin.[1] Margins are important as an incompletely removed disease process may lead to re-occurrence.

What defines a positive surgical margin is dependent on the tumour and its biology; the definitions for a positive margin are often dependent on (1) the anatomical site of the tumour and (2) the tumour type.

Significance

Most often, positive margins, i.e. surgical margins with disease present or "very close", are non-optimal. For example, in locally advanced rectal cancer, in one study,[2] five year survival was found to be 60%, 31% and 0% for R0 (no tumour at the margin), R1 (microscopic tumour at the margin), and R2 (macroscopic tumour at the margin) resections respectively.

Types of margins

  • En face (formally en face margin).
    • Sample the complete surface.
    • No information about the distance between the margin and lesion can be obtained at microscopy, i.e. from the glass slide.
  • On edge (formally on edge margin), AKA perpendicular margin, as the cut to prepare the tissue for microscopic examination is perpendicular to the cut from the surgeon.
    • Sample a subset of the surface.
    • The distance between the margin and lesion can be measured at microscopy, i.e. on the glass slide.

Note:

Positive margin definition

Unfortunately, there is no universal definition for positive margin.

Definitionally, there is agreement that "tumour touching the edge of the specimen" is a positive margin.[3][4]

It may be useful to differentiate pathologic margin [status] (tumour touching inked margin) and oncologic margin [status] (tumour sufficiently clear of margin to not significantly affect the prognosis). Oncologists, surgeons and patients really only care about oncologic margin [status] for relatively obvious reasons.

Perhaps confusing is that: a [pathologically] clear margin may be defined as being [oncologically] a positive margin, e.g. tumour not touching the ink of an inked margin - but less than 1 mm from the ink - may be a "positive margin".[4]

Adequate margin

  • What constitutes an adequate margin is dependent on the tumour type, as different tumours have different behaviours.

Adequate margins by tumour

Tumour Adequate pathologic margin Adequate clinical margin System
Colorectal carcinoma >1 mm;[5] circumferential margin (esp. in rectal carcinoma) most important[6] 1 cm[7] Gastrointestinal pathology
Vulvar carcinoma 0.8 cm (fixed)[8] 1.0 cm (fresh)[8] Gynecologic pathology
Malignant melanoma same as clinical (interesting is that CAP says "no minimum safe distance established"[9]) Dermatopathology
Ductal carcinoma in situ ink cannot be on tumour - consensus of Society of Surgical Oncology-American Society for Radiation Oncology (for low stage tumours)[15] Breast pathology
Invasive breast carcinoma ink cannot be on tumour - consensus of Society of Surgical Oncology-American Society for Radiation Oncology (for low stage tumours)[15] Breast pathology
Sarcoma >= 1 cm[16] Sarcoma
Prostate carcinoma tumour not touching ink - "close" margins have a higher biochemical recurrence[17] Genitourinary pathology
Renal cell carcinoma tumour not touching ink; positive margins get clinical follow-up as recurrences are uncommon[18] Genitourinary pathology
Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin 4 mm, 6 mm for high risk[19] Dermatopathology
Urothelial carcinoma tumour not touching ink[20] Genitourinary pathology

Fragmented and incised specimens

There is limited advice on how to deal with a fragmented or incised specimen.

If the specimen can be "put back together", it is reasonable to assess the margin and comment on the limitation.

The College of American Pathologists synoptic for invasive breast carcinoma (version 4.3.0.1) states:[21]

If the specimen is received sectioned or fragmented, this should be noted, as this will limit the ability to evaluate the status of margins.

Microscopic

Features of the true margin:

  • Irregular/non-linear appearance.

DDx:

  • Cut at the grossing bench (by the pathologist/pathology assistant/pathology resident) post-fixation - these are usually straight.
  • Artifactal cleft/separation.

Note:

  • The surgeon's cut is irregular due to loading during extraction and fixation effects.

Images

Sign out

Stray ink versus true positive

True positive

COMMENT: 
Ink is seen very focally on a fragment of tumour in A21-1. Inspection of 
the tissue block shows ink on the surface of the tissue fragment with the 
positive margin; this essentially excludes that what is interpreted as a 
positive margin could represent stray ink.

Stray ink

COMMENT:
The margin assessment is suboptimal as the specimen was cut prior to 
inking. Ink on tumour in this context may represent stray ink on tumour 
or a true positive margin. 

Ink is focally present on tumour in this case and it is favoured to 
represent stray ink, as the quantity of ink is minimal; however, margin 
positivity cannot be completely excluded.

A re-excised (previously) positive margin is negative for tumour

It occasionally happens that a re-excised margin specimen is negative for tumour.

The lack of tumour in Part B may be explained by either of the following:
(1) There was minimal clearance (<1 mm) in Part A that was not sampled. 
(2) The sampling of Part B missed minimal tumour involvement. 

Note:

  • One should review the positive margin call to ensure it isn't an overall.

Tumour in tip - flipped block

Lesion, Right Upper Lid, Excision:
     - BASAL CELL CARCINOMA, favour clear margin (see comment).

Comment:
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is present in the block 3 tip, on the initial cut. The tissue was re-embedded and BCC is seen on the recut. BCC is clear of the inked margin. Thus, the margin is favoured to be clear; however, out-of-plane margin involvement cannot be excluded.

Alternate

Lesion, Right Lower Eyelid, Excision:
     - BASAL CELL CARCINOMA (BCC), cannot exclude positive margin, see comment.

Comment:
BCC was found in block 1 (one of the tips) on the initial cut.

In block 1, BCC is present but distant from the inked margin in the plane 
of section. The margin is not completely in the plane of section; thus, 
trimming of a negative margin cannot be entirely excluded. As BCC is seen 
on both sides of the block, a positive cannot be excluded.

See also

References

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