Conservative surgery for infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma

• Published in: British journal of surgery 1997-01, Vol.84 (1), p.106-109
• Main Authors: Salvadori, B., Biganzoli, E., Veronesi, P., Saccozzi, R., Rilkes, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Breast Neoplasms - surgery; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - surgery; Carcinoma, Lobular - surgery; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Mastectomy - methods; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - etiology; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk Factors; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the genital tract and mammary gland; Survival Analysis
• ISSN: 0007-1323; 1365-2168
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2168.1997.02540.x

Background Some reports state that infiltrating lobular breast carcinoma (ILC) should not be treated by conservative methods because of a high risk of local recurrence. The aim of this study was to determine whether patients with conservatively treated ILC have a higher risk of intrabreast relapse than those with infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC). Methods Some 286 consecutive patients with ILC of the breast were compared with 1903 women with IDC treated at the Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milan, over the same interval (1973–1989). Patients in both series received the same treatment: quadrantectomy, complete axillary dissection and radiotherapy to the breast. Adjuvant treatment was administered according to nodal and menopausal status (chemotherapy or tamoxifen). Follow‐up lasted until December 1994, with a median of 137 months for patients with ILC and 133 for those with IDC. Histology slides were reviewed to assess the presence of multifocality (ILC 4.5 per cent versus IDC 3.6 per cent and extensive intraduct component (ILC 0.3) per cent versus IDC 6.4 per cent). Results No difference in cumulative local recurrence rate was found between the two groups at 10 years (approximately 7 per cent). Conclusion Conservative surgery is equally safe for patients with infiltrating lobular or ductal carcinoma of the breast.