A new approach for discovering minimal residual disease in patients with operable breast cancer

: The striving of surgeon for achieving better long-term results of surgical treatment of patients with breast cancer put the searching of new independent prognostic factors for the exit of the treatment. This has become possible in the last decade of XX century when new diagnostic methods as immunochistochemistry, polimerase chain reaction (PCR), cytomorphology etc. entered the clinical practice. With bone marrow biopsy in patients with breast cancer earlier diagnosis of minimal residual disease is achieved, the approach to those patients is changed and a possibility for discovering women at higher risk is given. By immunochistochemistry method in the diagnostics of minimal residual disease in patients with breast cancer, more precise staging is achieved. This will change the therapeutic approach to these patients.