Tumor Size and Pathologic Characteristics of Breast Cancer Analysis of 639 Early Breast Cancers

• Authors: Piotr Sęk , Janusz Piekarski , Robert Kubiak , Wiesław Szymczak , Dariusz Nejc , Piotr Pluta , Adam Bilski , Arkadiusz Jeziorski
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Primary tumor size, an essential clinical parameter, is assessed by oncologist during the physical examination of a patient with breast cancer. The results of such assessment constitutes a basis for classification of breast cancer staging, selection of proper primary treatment, selection of type of surgical treatment and initial evaluation of patient prognosis.The aim of the study was to describe changes in biological characteristics of breast cancers relative to increases in primary tumor size.Material and methods. All women treated surgically for breast cancer in the Department of Surgical Oncology, Medical University in Łódź, from 1999 to 2004, were included in our study. We confined our analysis to primary operable, invasive, primary tumors less than 3 cm. 639 cases comprised the study group. We analyzed the associations between primary tumor size and other routinely assessed clinical and pathological parameters.Results. We found statistical associations between primary tumor size and the presence of metastases in axillary lymph nodes (p<0.0001), presence of extracapsular extension of lymph nodes metastases (p<0.0001), presence of tumor cells emboli (p<0.0001), absence of expression of estrogen receptor (p=0043) and absence of progesterone receptor (p=0.0196) in cancer cells. No association was found between tumor size and histologic tumor type (p=0.205). In a subgroup of ductal carcinomas, tumor size was associated with the grade of cancer (p=0.0002).Conclusions. Increases in tumor size are accompanied by increasing incidence of unfavorable prognostic factors and decreasing incidence of favorable prognostic factors. Tumor size constitutes the source of direct and indirect prognostic information.

Keywords

EN

breast cancer; primary tumor size; metastases to axillary lymph nodes; grade

• Publisher: Index Copernicus International
• Journal: Polish Journal of Surgery
• Year: 2007
• Volume: 79
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 78-84

Dates

published

1 - 2 - 2007

online

24 - 9 - 2007

Contributors

author

Piotr Sęk

• Department of Surgical Oncology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University, Łódź

author

Janusz Piekarski

• Department of Surgical Oncology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University, Łódź

author

Robert Kubiak

• Department of Pathology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University, Łódź

author

Wiesław Szymczak

• Institute of Psychology, University, Łódź

author

Dariusz Nejc

• Department of Surgical Oncology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University, Łódź

author

Piotr Pluta

• Department of Surgical Oncology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University, Łódź

author

Adam Bilski

• Department of Surgical Oncology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University, Łódź

author

Arkadiusz Jeziorski

• Department of Surgical Oncology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University, Łódź

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Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10035-007-0013-y