During breast conservation surgery (lumpectomy), surgeons remove tumor specimens which are sent for pathological analysis. The pathologist determines whether the outer-layer of the excised specimen, called the margin, is free of cancerous tissue or not. Cancer free margins are the goal of the operation.
Typically, the pathological analysis is available to the surgeon 24 hours, or more, after the surgery. If cancer cells are present at the margin, the patient may need to undergo a second surgery, Literature indicates that 25% to 30% of lumpectomy patients require a repeat surgery
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