title: The mammographic appearance of breast carcinomas of invasive ductal type: relationship with clinicopathological parameters, biological features and prognosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical significance of the mammographic appearance of tumors in 411 patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tumors were classified into five radiographic subgroups: spiculated mass (A-type), diffuse changes with or without suspicious microcalcifications (B-type), microcalcifications with a mass (C-type), circumscribed (D-type), and not visible (E-type). Intratumoral levels of estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors, c-erbB-2, EGFR, pS2, cathepsin D and tPA, ploidy and S-phase fraction, were analysed in a significant number of cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A-type A radiographic pattern was detected in 234 patients (57%), B-type in 46 (11%), C-type in 46 (11%), D-type in 68 (17%), and E-type in 17 patients (4%). On the other hand, a total of 155 tumors (37.8%) showed microcalcifications. The percentage of tumors showing A-type pattern was more frequent in postmenopausal women, in well-differentiated tumors, and in those showing higher levels of ER, pS2 of tPA. However, B-type pattern was detected in a high percentage of premenopausal women and in those showing larger tumors, positive nodes, poor differentiation or high S-phase fraction. Cox multivariate analysis showed that B-type pattern and the absence of microcalcifications were factors significantly associated to high risk for relapse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the mammographic appearance of tumor may to provide useful clinical information in addition to classical prognostic factor in infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital del Oriente de Astirias, Arriondas, Spain.
authors.forename: Concepcion
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ildefonso
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guinea
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Maria D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Corte
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Junquera
authors.forename: Luis O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Paz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pravia
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcia-Moran
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Vizoso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis