J Korean Breast Cancer Soc.  2004 Sep;7(3):180-184. 10.4048/jkbcs.2004.7.3.180.

Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ or Ductal Carcinoma in Situ with Microinvasion

• Son GS
• Kim TH
• Um JW
• Lee JB
• Bae JW
• Koo BH

• KMID: 2006653
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4048/jkbcs.2004.7.3.180

Abstract

PURPOSE
The development of publicized screening methods for breast carcinoma detection has led to a marked increase in the discovery of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or DCIS with microinvasion (DCIS-MI). Axillary lymph node status has been believed to be not only an indicator of prognosis, but also a direction of adjuvant therapy. But the incidence of axillary metastasis in DCIS or DCIS-MI has diversely found in from 0% to 20%. This study was performed to analyze the incidence of axillary metastasis and the predictive factors associated with axillary lymph node metastasis in DCIS or DCIS-MI. METHODS: Patients with DCIS or DCIS-MI and axillary lymph node dissection from 1987 to 2004 were selected from Korea University Medical Center. We reviewed their medical records for age, palpability and size of the tumor, histolgic subtype, nuclear grade, hormone receptor status, and pathologic slides. RESULTS: Fifty two patients in DCIS and Thirty eight patients in DCIS-MI were included in the study. Axillary lymph node metastases were identified in 2 patients (3.8%) in DCIS and 4 patients (10.5%) in DCIS-MI. Tumor size and nuclear grade in DCIS had a borderline significance in association with microinvasion. We could not be able to find any predictive factor associated with axillary lymph node metastasis in DCIS and DCIS-MI. CONCLUSION: Axillary lymph node metastasis in DCIS or DCIS-MI appeared to be not low and there was no predictive factor associated with axillary lymph node metastasis in DCIS and DCIS-MI. But DCIS patients with large tumor size and poor nuclear grade have the high possibility associated with microinvasion, therefore, in that cases, there is a need to consider the possibility of axillary metastasis.

Keyword

Lymph node metastasis; Ductal carcinoma in situ; Microinvasion; Breast

MeSH Terms

Academic Medical Centers
Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Carcinoma, Ductal*
Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating*
Humans
Incidence
Korea
Lymph Node Excision
Lymph Nodes*
Mass Screening
Medical Records
Neoplasm Metastasis*
Prognosis