Lack of prognostic significance of “classic” lobular breast carcinoma: a matched, single institution series

Giuseppe Viale (1) , Nicole Rotmensz (2) , Patrick Maisonneuve (2) , Enrico Orvieto (3) , Eugenio Maiorano (4) , Viviana Galimberti (5) , Alberto Luini (5) , Marco Colleoni (6) , Aron Goldhirsch (7, 8) , Alan S. Coates (9, 10)

1 Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, European Institute of Oncology
2 Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
3 Section of Anatomical Pathology, Department of Oncological and Surgical Sciences
4 Department of Pathological Anatomy
5 Division of Breast Surgery
6 Division of Medical Oncology
7 ESMO - European Institute of Oncology [Milan]
8 IOSI - Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland
9 International Breast Cancer Study Group
10 The University of Sydney

Whether invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast per se constitutes a prognostically favorable type has been debated. The present series comprises 301 consecutive “classic” lobular breast carcinomas seen at one institution between 1994 and 2001, compared to an equal number of invasive ductal carcinomas at the same institution during the same period, matched for year of surgery, age, menopausal status, primary tumor size, nodal involvement, hormone receptor status and where possible histological grade. Despite matching, the lobular carcinomas were more frequently multifocal, had more involved nodes, lower grade and lower proliferative fraction. There was no significant difference in disease-free or overall survival, locoregional relapse or time to distant metastasis between the lobular and ductal groups overall or within any examined subset, though the lobular group showed a trend to earlier appearance of contralateral breast cancer. Classical lobular histology is not an independent factor in the prognosis of early breast cancer.

Mots clés: Breast cancer; Lobular carcinoma; Prognosis; Matched study

Giuseppe Viale, Nicole Rotmensz, Patrick Maisonneuve, Enrico Orvieto, Eugenio Maiorano, et al.. Lack of prognostic significance of “classic” lobular breast carcinoma: a matched, single institution series. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 2008, 117 (1), pp.211-214. ⟨10.1007/s10549-008-0112-4⟩. ⟨hal-00486592⟩