Outcomes of breast-conservation therapy for invasive lobular carcinoma are equivalent to those for invasive ductal carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Breast-conservation therapy (BCT), including wide local excision and postoperative irradiation, is considered standard treatment for early-stage invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The use of BCT in patients with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) has been questioned because of concerns regarding ipsilateral breast recurrence and risk of bilateral breast cancer. We evaluated our institutional experience with BCT and compared treatment outcomes for ILC with those for IDC.


METHODS
A review of our BCT database revealed 84 patients with ILC and 1,126 with IDC with stage I or II disease treated with BCT and radiation between 1976 and 1999. We evaluated local-regional recurrence, disease-specific survival, and contralateral breast cancer rates in both groups.


RESULTS
The 5- and 10-year local-regional recurrence rates for the ILC group were 1% and 7%, respectively, and 4% and 9%, respectively, for the IDC group (P = .70). There were no significant differences in the 5- and 10-year disease-specific survival rates between the groups. Contralateral breast cancer occurred in 11.3% of patients with IDC and 11.9% of patients with ILC.


CONCLUSIONS
BCT achieves similar local-regional control and survival outcomes in selected patients with ILC or IDC. Breast-conservation therapy is an appropriate treatment strategy for patients with early-stage invasive lobular carcinoma.
Vo
Thao N
TN
Department of Surgical Oncology, Unit 444, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Meric-Bernstam
Funda
F
Yi
Min
M
Buchholz
Thomas A
TA
Ames
Frederick C
FC
Kuerer
Henry M
HM
Bedrosian
Isabelle
I
Hunt
Kelly K
KK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents