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Pure Tubular Carcinoma and Axillary Nodal Metastases

  • American Society of Breast Surgeons
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Pure tubular carcinoma of the breast is a rare subtype with a low incidence of axillary lymph node metastases. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of axillary lymph node metastasis in patients with pure tubular carcinoma.

Methods

We identified patients diagnosed with tubular carcinoma from 1987 to 2009 from our institution’s tumor registry. Pathology slides were reviewed, and pure tubular carcinoma was defined as ≥90% tubule formation, low nuclear grade, and rare to no mitoses. Medical records were reviewed for clinicopathologic data including tumor size, number of positive and negative axillary lymph nodes, treatment, and recurrence.

Results

We identified 105 cases of pure tubular carcinoma of the breast in 103 patients. Median tumor size was 0.8 (range 0.1–1.8) cm. Nodal staging was performed in 93 cases (89%). Five patients (5.4%) had positive lymph nodes, and two patients (2.2%) had isolated tumor cells. All patients with lymph node metastases had tumors >0.8 cm in size. At 5.2 years’ follow-up, no patients have developed recurrence or metastases, or have died from breast cancer.

Conclusions

Axillary lymph node metastases are not common in small pure tubular carcinomas. Nodal staging may be omitted in small pure tubular carcinomas.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Martin G. Fedko MD, MHA, Jeffrey S. Scow MD, Amy C. Degnim MD, James W. Jakub MD & Judy C. Boughey MD

  2. Department of Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Sejal S. Shah MD & Carol Reynolds MD

Authors
  1. Martin G. Fedko MD, MHA
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  2. Jeffrey S. Scow MD
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  3. Sejal S. Shah MD
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  4. Carol Reynolds MD
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  5. Amy C. Degnim MD
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  6. James W. Jakub MD
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  7. Judy C. Boughey MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Judy C. Boughey MD.

Additional information

Dr. Martin G. Fedko and Dr. Jeffrey S. Scow contributed equally to this work.

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Fedko, M.G., Scow, J.S., Shah, S.S. et al. Pure Tubular Carcinoma and Axillary Nodal Metastases. Ann Surg Oncol 17 (Suppl 3), 338–342 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-010-1254-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-010-1254-2

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