title: Prospective matched-pair comparison of outcome after treatment for lobular and ductal breast carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether the prognosis of invasive lobular carcinoma is different from that of other invasive breast cancers is controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome in age- and stage-matched patients with lobular carcinoma and those with invasive breast cancer, and in particular to compare predictors of outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from a prospectively maintained database that included patients who had breast surgery for invasive cancer. Patients were matched for International Union Against Cancer stage and age at diagnosis within 5 years. Two patients with invasive ductal carcinoma were matched to each patient with invasive lobular carcinoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between invasive ductal and lobular carcinomas in terms of overall survival. Oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive invasive ductal carcinoma had a better prognosis than ER-positive invasive lobular carcinoma (P = 0.011). Similarly, ER-negative invasive ductal carcinoma was associated with worse survival than ER-negative invasive lobular carcinoma (P = 0.054).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggested that the differences in outcome between invasive ductal and lobular carcinomas may be determined by ER status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University College Hospital, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: J Ní
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Mhuircheartaigh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curran
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hennessy
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kerin
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome