Clinicopathological Analysis of Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and Ductal Carcinoma in situ with Microinvasion

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The natural history of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with microinvasion is poorly defined, and the clinical management of these patients, with particular reference to management of the axilla, has been controversial. Previous studies of this lesion have used arbitrary criteria for the evaluation of microinvasion. METHODS: In order to compare the clinicopathologic features and treatment outcomes between DCIS and DCIS with microinvasion, the medical records of 101 patients of DCIS with or without microinvasion who had been treated at Yongdong Severance hospital from April 1991, to October 1998, were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean age of the DCIS with microinvasion group was 44.8 years-old and that of the DCIS group was 47.4 years-old. The peak age group within both study groups was the 5th decade. The primary tumors of the DCIS-MI group were larger (2.16 vs 1.93 cm) and more easily palpated (66.3% vs 36.6%) upon the physical examination than that of the DCIS group. The rate of axillary lymph node metastasis was higher in the DCIS-MI group (10% vs 1.3%). In terms of nuclear grade, comedo type, hormone receptor status, and c-erbB2 immunohistochemical positivity, there were no statistically significant differences between the DCIS and DCIS-MI groups. The recurrence rate within the DCIS-MI group was higher than that of DCIS group (10% vs 1.4%). The 5-year disease free survival rate of the DCIS and DCIS-MI groups were 98% and 89% respectively. CONCLUSION: Ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion is thought to be a transitional disease entity between ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma. However, the treatment options for ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion have been similar to that of the invasive carcinoma. More long-term follow-up and a multicenter study seem to be necessary to identify differences in the clinical features and to determine the optimal methods of treatment.