The significance of cancer cells contaminating postoperative seroma.

Sixth postoperative day seromae of 142 breast cancer patients were searched for the presence of malignant cells. They were found in 32 patients. These patients showed significant propensity of developing distant metastases or having an unfavourable outcome of their disease although the size of their tumours was smaller than in women whose postoperative seromae were malignant-cell free. At the same time TNM tumour staging and axillary lymph node analyses failed to prove any difference between these two groups of breast cancer patients. Finally, the analyses of the state of patients' menstrual cycles showed that cycling women whose postoperative seroma contained malignant cells are at high risk of developing metastases or dying.