Interval carcinomas of the breast: a group with intermediate outcome.
BACKGROUND
Interval carcinoma is defined as a carcinoma detected between two mammographic screening rounds after a negative screening. By some authors these carcinomas are considered to be more aggressive than screen-detected carcinomas.


METHODS
In a group of 937 patients referred for breast cancer in the period 1975-1990, 76 interval carcinoma patients were treated. In a retrospective study the outcome was studied of patients with an interval carcinoma in comparison with patients with screen-detected carcinomas and of patients with clinically detected carcinomas outside the screening program.


RESULTS
No significant difference was found in the 5-year and 10-year disease-free survival of patients with interval carcinoma (80%, 68%) and the screen-detected group (89%, 81%) (P = 0.12). The interval group did significantly better than the patients with carcinomas detected outside the screening program (P = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Interval-detected cancers for patients in the screening program had an outcome intermediate between patients with screen-detected cancers and patients with cancers detected outside the screening program. The difference between interval-detected cancers and cancers detected outside the screening program was significant, whereas the difference between screen-detected and interval cancers was not.
Schroën
A A
AA
Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Wobbes
T
T
van der Sluis
R F
RF
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008327:Mammography; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome