The correlation of extranodal invasion with other prognostic parameters in lymph node positive breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
The presence of extranodal invasion (ENI) in the metastatic lymph nodes is reported to increase the risk of locoregional recurrence while shortening disease-free and overall survival in patients with breast cancer. In this study the relationship between ENI and other prognostic parameters and survival is investigated.


METHODS
Of 650 patients with breast cancer who were treated in Ankara Oncology Teaching and Research Hospital from 1996 to 2003, 368 (56.6%) had lymph node metastasis. The patients with axillary metastasis were separated into two groups as with and without invasion to lymph node capsule and the surrounding adipose tissue. Clinicopathologic features were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression.


RESULTS
Of 368 patients with axillary metastasis, 135 (36.7%) had ENI. Based on multivariate analysis; the number of metastatic lymph nodes, lymphatic invasion, and tumor necrosis were found to be related with ENI. In the group with ENI, 5-year overall survival rate was 74.8%, compared to 82.3% for patients without ENI which was significantly lower (P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
In lymph node positive breast cancer with presence of ENI, adverse prognostic parameters are more frequently encountered and has a worse overall survival compared to group without ENI.
Altinyollar
Hüseyin
H
Ankara Oncology Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. huseyinaltinyollar@yahoo.com
Berberoğlu
Uğur
U
Gülben
Kaptan
K
Irkin
Fikret
F
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D016015:Logistic Models; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D015411:Mastectomy, Modified Radical; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate