Telepathology in intraoperative frozen section consultation of breast cancer sentinel node biopsy in Fukushima, Japan following the 2011 triple disaster: diagnostic accuracy and required time during the early implementation phase

Hiroaki Kawakami; Akihiko Ozaki; Yudai Kaneda; Shigeyuki Asano; Kouki Inai; Shinichi Hirooka; Ayumi Katoono; Riko Takagi; Makoto Kosaka; Anju Murayama; Toyoaki Sawano; Yasuteru Shimamura; Masaharu Tsubokura; Tomohiro Kurokawa; Kaznoshin Tachibana; Masahiro Wada; Tetsuya Tanimoto; Tohru Ohtake; Naoyuki Kitamura; Tomozo Ejiri; Hideyuki Magome; Hiroaki Shimmura; Norio Kanzaki

doi:10.22605/RRH8496

Short Communication

Telepathology in intraoperative frozen section consultation of breast cancer sentinel node biopsy in Fukushima, Japan following the 2011 triple disaster: diagnostic accuracy and required time during the early implementation phase

AUTHORS

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Hiroaki Kawakami¹ Clinical Laboratory Technician, Department Chief

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Akihiko Ozaki² MD, DrPH, Department Head *

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Yudai Kaneda³ Medical Student

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Shigeyuki Asano⁴ MD, PhD, Director

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Kouki Inai⁵ MD, PhD, Department Head

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Shinichi Hirooka⁶ MD, PhD, Assistant Professor

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Ayumi Katoono⁷ Clinical Laboratory Technician

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Riko Takagi⁸ Clinical Laboratory Technician

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Makoto Kosaka⁹ MD, Junior Resident

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Anju Murayama¹⁰ Medical Student

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Toyoaki Sawano¹¹ MD, PhD, Deputy Department Head

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Yasuteru Shimamura¹² MD, PhD, Deputy Director

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Masaharu Tsubokura¹³ MD, PhD, Professor

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Tomohiro Kurokawa¹⁴ MD, PhD, Department Head

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Kaznoshin Tachibana¹⁵ MD, PhD, Lecturer

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Masahiro Wada¹⁶ MD, PhD, Department Head

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Tetsuya Tanimoto¹⁷ MD, Attendant Physician

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Tohru Ohtake¹⁸ MD, PhD, Professor

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Naoyuki Kitamura¹⁹ MD, Founder/Vice President

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Tomozo Ejiri²⁰ MD, PhD, Honorary Hospital Director

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Hideyuki Magome²¹ Clinical Laboratory Technician, Department Head

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Hiroaki Shimmura²² MD, PhD, Hospital Director

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Norio Kanzaki²³ MD, PhD, Vice Hospital Director

AFFILIATIONS

^{1, 7, 8, 21} Department of Clinical Examination, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan

² Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki City, Fukushima, Japan; Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Fukushima, Japan; and MNES Inc., Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan

³ School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan

⁴ Pathology Center, Iwaki Medical Center, Iwaki City, Fukushima, Japan

⁵ Department of Pathology, MNES Inc., Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan

⁶ Department of Pathology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Minato City, Tokyo, Japan

⁹ Clinical Training Center, Imamura General Hospital, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima, Japan

¹⁰ School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai City, Miyagi, Japan

¹¹ Department of Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki City, Fukushima, Japan; and Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Fukushima, Japan

¹² Medical Professional Service, MNES Inc., Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan

¹³ Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Fukushima, Japan

^{14, 20, 23} Department of Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki City, Fukushima, Japan

^{15, 18} Department of Breast Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima City, Fukushima, Japan

¹⁶ Department of Breast Surgery, Utsunomiya Central Clinic, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi, Japan; and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki City, Fukushima, Japan

¹⁷ Department of Internal Medicine, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki City, Fukushima, Japan; and MNES Inc., Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan

¹⁹ MNES Inc., Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan

²² Department of Urology, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan

ACCEPTED: 20 July 2023

early abstract:

In breast cancer surgery, some medical facilities lack the necessary resources to conduct sentinel lymph node biopsy and its intraoperative frozen section consultation. In the coastal rural area of Fukushima, Japan, which has suffered from physician undersupply following the 2011 triple disaster, we explored the feasibility of telepathology by evaluating the diagnostic accuracy in remote intraoperative frozen section consultation of sentinel lymph node biopsy and its required time. Although examination time has room for improvement, telepathology can be one possible solution in resource-limited areas.