Abstract
Breast cancers in BRCA1 gene mutation carriers often have specific histologic features: grade III tumors with pushing margins. Our purpose was to compare the mammographic and histologic features of breast cancers in carriers with those in age-matched sporadic controls. The features of breast cancers in 27 BRCA1 carriers found during annual surveillance were compared to those in 107 age-matched sporadic controls. The carriers had no (classic) spiculated mammographic lesions, a high percentage of well-defined masses and hardly any masses with microcalcifications, whereas the controls had significantly fewer well-defined ones and only in 27% spiculated lesions on the mammogram. The well-defined mammographic tumors correlated in 83% of the carriers and in 70% of the controls with histologic circumscribed tumor margins. Spiculated mammographic lesions in the controls were in 90% grade I or II tumors. DCIS with or without infiltration was seen in 22% of the carriers and in 45% of the controls. In conclusion, breast cancers diagnosed in BRCA1 carriers do not have classic malignant mammographic features. A minority of the young sporadic controls show the classic malignant lesion on the mammogram. Both carriers and controls generally show a good correlation between their mammographic- and histologic tumor pattern.
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The authors are grateful to Prof dr BBR Kroon for his invaluable advice and critical comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript.
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Kaas, R., Kroger, R., Peterse, J.L. et al. The correlation of mammographic-and histologic patterns of breast cancers in BRCA1 gene mutation carriers, compared to age-matched sporadic controls. Eur Radiol 16, 2842–2848 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0385-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-006-0385-0