title: Pathological features and prognosis of lobular carcinoma in Egyptian breast cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To illustrate the differences between invasive lobular and ductal carcinomas (ILCs and IDCs) in terms of baseline demographics, pathologic features and recurrence in Egyptian breast cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of breast cancer patients diagnosed and treated between 2000 and 2008 was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  176 (8.5%) and 1758 (85%) cases were diagnosed with ILC and IDC, respectively. Compared with IDC, ILC was less observed in patients under 35 years of age (3.4 vs 9.3%; p = 0.009), and was associated with more bilaterality (p = 0.001), advanced tumor stage (p = 0.027) and nodal involvement (p = 0.004). On the other hand, IDC was significantly associated with more luminal B-like phenotype (16.9 vs 8.1%; p < 0.001) and more HER2-enriched disease (11.5 vs 2.7%; p < 0.001). At a median follow-up time of 64 months, ILC histology was independently associated with better disease-free survival (hazard ratio: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.36-0.93; p = 0.023). Bone and peritoneal relapses were more common in ILC, while lung relapses were more common in IDC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ILC has distinct biologic and prognostic features that may warrant different therapeutic approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Cairo University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Hamdy A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Azim
authors.forename: Raafat A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Malek
authors.forename: Hatem A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Azim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: Egyptian women; breast cancer; clinical outcome; invasive duct carcinoma; invasive lobular carcinoma; tumor characteristics