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Histopathology grading in small brast cancers ≤ 10mm – results from an area with mammography screening

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Abstract

Histopathological malignancy grading ysing the Bloom-Ricardson classification of ductal cancers was performed for 248 invasive ductal breast cancers ≤10mm operated 1978-1985. There weresignificantly more grade 1 lesions in the prevalence screening round. Grade 3 was correlated with aneuploidy, higher S-phase (SPF), and more receptor negative tumours. There were also significantly more positive lymph nodes in grade 3 lesions, 18% compared to 5% and 12% respecrively for grades 1 and 2 (p<0.05). In life table analysis for survival, when the high risk group of grade 3 lesions was compared to the grade 1 and 2 lesions combined, five-year disease-free survival was 84.6% vs. 99.1% (p<0.001).

With good training and care from the pathologist, malignancy grading seems useful for prognostication of eventual recurrence and death. In umours 10mm or smaller only grade 3 lesions need to be included in follow-up systems and should probably have adjuvant treatment

Malignancy grading is especially good in small ductal brast cancers whre grading can always be performed while other prognostic determinations are hampered by shortage of material. Lymph node positivity is also low in this group

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden

    Lars-Gunnar Arnesson MD/PhD & Staffan Smeds MD/PhD

  2. Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden

    Thomas Hatschek MD/PhD

  3. Department of Pathology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden

    Otto Gröntoft MD/Prof.

Authors
  1. Lars-Gunnar Arnesson MD/PhD
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  2. Thomas Hatschek MD/PhD
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  3. Staffan Smeds MD/PhD
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  4. Otto Gröntoft MD/Prof.
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Arnesson, LG., Hatschek, T., Smeds, S. et al. Histopathology grading in small brast cancers ≤ 10mm – results from an area with mammography screening. Breast Cancer Res Treat 44, 39–46 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005887412494

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