Microinvasive breast carcinoma

long-term results

Abstract

Objective: Microinvasive breast carcinoma (MBC) is an uncommon breast carcinoma subtype although an increase of screening mammography in recent decades has resulted in a higher incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), as well as invasive carcinomas at early stages. The objective of this research study was to review 115 cases of MBC from Brazilian National Cancer Institute between the years 2000 and 2010. Methods: The clinical presentation, diagnosis, type of treatment, clinical progression and the relevance of the axillary nodal status were analyzed. Results: The average patient age was 56 years old. Radiographic findings of calcifications on MBC lesions (68%) were similar to the findings seen on DCIS. Positive axillary metastasis was seen in 9.6% of the cases. After a follow up of on average eight years, one case of local recurrence and four cases of distal recurrence were seen. Overall survival was 95.6% and disease-free survival was 96.5%. Conclusion: Despite the possibility of nodal metastasis in our study, MBC has a favorable prognosis and it is associated with a low axillary nodal metastasis risk. Knowledge of clinical presentation and radiological findings of DCIS lesions may draw a physician’s attention to the possibility of local microinvasion and the appropriate approach for each patient.