Resection margin

These are retained after the surgery and examined microscopically by a pathologist to see if the margin is indeed free from tumor cells (called "negative").

In resections for breast cancer, there appears to be a difference between European and American radiation oncologists, with the former preferring larger margins of over 5 mm.

Narrow surgical margin using the bread loafing technique suggests that residual cancer might be left due to false negative error.

This determination is made with the full understanding of "false negative error" intrinsic in the bread loafing technique of histology (also known as POMA - a term used by the NCCN).

[7] The worldwide extent of inadequate resection of the tumor is illustrated in following Table showing the percentage of positive surgical margins for the most common cancer types.

Schematic representation showing margin negative (A) and margin positive (B) excisions of a lesion. In a margin negative resection the lesion is completely removed; no lesional tissue is left behind the in the patient. In a margin positive resection some lesional tissue is left behind in the patient.
Micrograph of a stained slide of a resected myopericytoma , the resection margin stained brown
Micrograph showing a positive cauterized surgical margin in an adenocarcinoma (center-top of image). H&E stain .
Edges and margins for an intestinal tumor.