Prognostic index in lobular breast cancer

Abstract

Background

The topic of this study was lobular carcinoma, the second most frequently diagnosed cancer of the breast, which is less well known and is more problematic, diagnostically.

Aim

To define a prognostic index for patients with lobular carcinoma of the breast through application of a multivariate analysis, Cox's proportional hazard model.

Materials/Methods

An immunohistochemistry based analysis was carried out on paraffin embedded materials taken from 75 women who underwent surgery for lobular carcinoma of the breast in the Oncological Surgery Department, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, during the period of 1990–1997.

Results

A statistically significant relationship was found between the size of tumour (p=0.044), lymph node status (p=0.011), expression of progesterone receptors (p=0.034), and survival time. In support of the above parameters, the multivariate analysis allowed the formulation of a prognostic index: I=T+2N-2PgR, where T (tumour)=tumour size, N (nodulus)=lymph node status, and PgR=expression of progesterone receptors.

Conclusions

The formulated prognostic index for lobular carcinoma of the breast allows for the differential prognosis of survival time, in representative risk groups. The index may be useful in the process of qualifying patients for adjuvant therapy.