The Effect of Freezing on the Immunoprofile of Breast Carcinoma Cells

Background: Intraoperative frozen section procedure may be required in some operations performed for breast masses. Aims: We investigated the effect of frozen section procedure on the immunoprofile of breast carcinoma cells. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 53 breast carcinoma cases evaluated with intraoperative frozen sections were included in this study. Immunohistochemically, oestrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and HER2 primary antibodies were evaluated in both frozen and non-frozen sections of each tumour sample. Results: No difference was found between the frozen and non-frozen sections in 33 cases in terms of staining rate and intensity of ER, PR and HER2. A decrease was found in the ER, PR and HER2 staining rate (in 10 cases, 9 cases and 6 cases, respectively). Likewise, a decrease was detected in ER, PR and HER2 staining intensity in 6 patients for each. Although there was no staining in frozen sections, immunopositivity was observed in 3 non-frozen sections for ER, in 2 for PR and in 5 for HER2. Statistically, a significant difference was found between the frozen and non-frozen sections in terms of staining rate and intensity for each of the three markers. Conclusion: In this study, the frozen section procedure in breast carcinoma had a negative effect on the immunoprofile. However, considering the importance of hormone receptor status in the treatment, these results should be supported with larger series.