Breast Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Breast Cancer, including details on symptoms, genetics, screening, treatment, information.

Primary breast tumor characteristics predicting aggressive nodal involvement.

Ma AM, Bowling M, Leitch M, Rao R, Euhus DM

Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9155, USA.

BACKGROUND: pN3 breast cancer is historically associated with a poor prognosis, but the biology of aggressive nodal involvement or lymphatotropism is not well understood. METHODS: This retrospective study compares clinical and pathological features for 1347 breast cancer patients with pN0 disease, 560 with pN1 disease, and 100 with > or = 10 positive nodes (pN3 [10] disease). RESULTS: Compared with pN1 disease, pN3 (10) disease was more frequently associated with T3-4 primaries (9% versus 38%, P < or = .001), lobular histology (11% versus 22%, P = .01), and inflammatory cancer (1% versus 5%, P = 0.01). pN3 (10) disease was not associated with early-onset or estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer. The 5- and 10-year overall survival for pN3 (10) patients was 64% and 21%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicates that the prognosis for pN3 (10) patients may be improving with current treatment. Molecular pathways governing aggressive lymphatotropism appear to be independent of those associated with early-onset, estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer.

Published 10 September 2007 in Am J Surg, 194(4): 474-6.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Breast Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.