Safe selection criteria for breast conservation without radical excision in primary operable invasive breast cancer.

In a previous series from this unit of 263 women with primary operable breast cancer treated by macroscopic lumpectomy and breast irradiation, local recurrence was high. An audit at a median follow up of 36 months showed 56 (21%) ipsilateral breast recurrences. Eighteen of these recurrences were aggressive and uncontrolled. Multivariate analysis shows patient age, lymphovascular invasion, tumour size and nodal status to be predictive of local recurrence (Locker AP, et al., Br J Surgery 1989, 76, 890-894). New selection criteria for breast conservation were defined based on these data and also on securing an adequate clear margin of excision. In a subsequent prospective series of 275 women fulfilling these criteria, 6 women (2.2%) developed ipsilateral breast recurrence at the same median follow up of 36 months. In none was this uncontrolled and aggressive. Breast conservation, without radical excision, is safe as long as the selection criteria described are followed.

Pathological prognostic factors in breast cancer. IV: Should you be a typer or a grader? A comparative study of two histological prognostic features in operable breast carcinoma.

In a study of 1529 patients with primary operable breast carcinoma we have assessed the effect of applying both histological grade and tumour type to determine their comparative value as prognostic factors in human breast cancer. The prognostic group the patient was placed in, based on histological type alone, was less accurate than using grade and type together for many tumours. The importance of performing histological grading of ductal/no special type carcinoma (50% of the women in this series) is confirmed in this series. The 10-year-survival varied from 76% for women with grade 1 carcinoma to 39% for those with grade 3 tumours. Some of the 'special types' of breast carcinoma including tubular, tubulo-lobular, invasive cribriform and grade 1 mucinous carcinomas behaved as would be predicted, with a greater than 80% 10-year-survival in this series. Others, including grade 2 mucinous carcinomas, however, behaved less well with a 60% to 80% 10-year-survival. Indeed, many of the histological tumour types including tubular mixed, ductal/no special type, mixed ductal with special type and lobular carcinomas of classical, solid or mixed types showed a variation in behaviour that could not be predicted by typing alone. Histological grade and tumour type, when used together, more accurately predicted prognosis. In multivariate analysis of a larger group of 2658 cases of primary breast carcinomas (including the 1529 study cases) when histological grade, lymph node status and tumour size were entered, grade was the most important factor in predicting for survival.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cathepsin D in primary breast carcinoma: adverse prognosis is associated with expression of cathepsin D in stromal cells.

The immunohistochemical expression of the aspartyl protease enzyme cathepsin D was examined in a consecutive series of 103 primary operable breast carcinomas with the polyclonal antibody NCL-CDp. Expression of cathepsin D was identified within the epithelial and stromal components of all tumours examined. No significant associations of increased cathepsin D expression in the epithelial tumour component with conventional prognostic indices such as tumour size, grade, lymph node stage, or patient survival were identified. However, significant associations of increased stromal cathepsin D expression and high tumour grade, chi 2 = 11.40 (df = 2), p = 0.003; increased tendency to local recurrence, chi 2 = 6.87 (df = 1), p = 0.009; regional recurrence, chi 2 = 7.44 (df = 1), p = 0.006; poorer disease free survival, chi 2 = 14.9 (df = 1), p = 0.0001; and poorer overall patient survival, chi 2 = 6.90 (df = 1), p = 0.0086, were identified. Cathepsin D expression is present in all breast tumours. Stromal cathepsin D expression is a neglected immunohistochemical prognostic parameter which could explain some of the previous apparently conflicting reports concerning the effect on patient prognosis of biochemical (i.e. total) and immunohistochemical estimations of cathepsin D in breast cancers.

Local recurrence after simple mastectomy.

A retrospective study was carried out to determine the clinical significance of local recurrence after simple mastectomy and node biopsy for primary operable breast cancer, without postoperative irradiation or systemic adjuvant therapy. Local recurrence was defined as a histologically proven lesion in or deep to the mastectomy skin flaps. A total of 966 patients with a median follow-up of 7 years were reviewed. Of these, 223 (23 per cent) developed local recurrence but half the tumours were small single lesions; 70 women had multiple discrete lesions and 21 diffuse carcinomatous dermal infiltration. Local recurrence showed significant associations with tumour grade, nodal status and the presence of lymphovascular invasion in the primary tumour. A predictive index containing these three variables was constructed. Adjuvant irradiation of the flaps is recommended for patients with high scores; such women would otherwise have a 39 per cent chance of developing local recurrence by 5 years. Different types of local recurrence have different chances of responding to local therapy: 13 per cent of single local recurrences, 32 per cent of multiple spot recurrences and 70 per cent of the diffuse type failed to respond to local therapy. Local recurrence predicts reduced patient survival.

Traumatic pneumatocele.

Traumatic pneumatocele is a recognized but uncommon complication of blunt thoracic trauma. Its clinical relevance lies in the difficulty the attending surgeon encounters in differentiating the x-ray appearances from more serious pathology requiring urgent surgical intervention. We document this case because it is important that surgeons be aware of this condition and of its benign course so as to avoid unnecessary diagnostic or operative procedures.

Short-bowel syndrome: a collective review.

Neonates can now be expected to survive with very short lengths of bowel because of advances in pediatric neonatal care and in parenteral and enteral nutrition. Most pediatric surgeons have only a few patients with this problem under their care, so individual experience is limited. This collective survey, carried out by postal questionnaires to pediatric surgeons in the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons in the United Kingdom with an interest in the gastrointestinal tract, documents current techniques of management, the complications encountered, and reviews the clinical and economic consequences of prolonged total parenteral nutrition. We conclude that within the limitations of resources and our understanding of prognosis, neonates, especially if less than 35 weeks' gestation, with remaining jejunoileal segment of greater than 20 cm with an intact ileocecal valve (ICV) or greater than 30 cm without an ICV, should be considered salvageable.

The Nottingham Prognostic Index in primary breast cancer.

In 1982 we constructed a prognostic index for patients with primary, operable breast cancer. This index was based on a retrospective analysis of 9 factors in 387 patients. Only 3 of the factors (tumour size, stage of disease, and tumour grade) remained significant on multivariate analysis. The index was subsequently validated in a prospective study of 320 patients. We now present the results of applying this prognostic index to all of the first 1,629 patients in our series of operable breast cancer up to the age of 70. We have used the index to define three subsets of patients with different chances of dying from breast cancer: 1) good prognosis, comprising 29% of patients with 80% 15-year survival; 2) moderate prognosis, 54% of patients with 42% 15-year survival; 3) poor prognosis, 17% of patients with 13% 15-year survival. The 15-year survival of an age-matched female population was 83%.

Occult regional lymph node metastases from breast carcinoma: immunohistological detection with antibodies CAM 5.2 and NCRC-11.

Ninety-eight consecutive patients with primary operable breast cancer and an initial diagnosis of no regional lymph node metastases as assessed by conventional light microscopy were studied. Immunohistological staining of routine lymph node sections was assessed using two monoclonal antibodies: CAM 5.2 (Becton Dickinson) with specificity for low molecular weight cytokeratin, and NCRC-11 (CRC Laboratories, Nottingham) with specificity for epithelial mucin antigen. Positive staining for occult metastases was seen in nine patients with CAM 5.2 and in eight of these nine with NCRC-11. At a follow-up out to 14 years, there was no difference in overall survival, in recurrence-free survival, or in frequency of or time to presentation of local or regional recurrences between occult metastasis-positive and occult metastasis-negative patients. This study concludes that while immunohistological staining of routine lymph node sections increases the diagnostic yield of metastases, it is not to be recommended as this increase is of no useful clinical value.

Paget's disease of the nipple.

A total of 48 women with Paget's disease of the nipple (nipple eczema containing Paget cells but without a palpable lump) presented to one surgeon over a 13-year period. Temporary healing of the nipple eczema occurred in six patients. In all, 21 of 34 patients with in situ (DCIS) or invasive ductal carcinoma had mammographic abnormalities. Treatment was by simple mastectomy (37 cases), cone excision of the nipple-areola complex (ten cases) and tamoxifen (one case). DCIS was found in 45 operative specimens (96 per cent); eight had associated invasion. The DCIS was predominantly large cell solid/comedo in type and was multifocal in seven cases (19 per cent). At a median (range) follow-up of 56 (18-96) months, four of the ten patients treated by cone excision have developed a local recurrence, two of these patients have also developed metastases. Two of the 37 patients who underwent mastectomy developed loco-regional recurrences; both had invasive foci at their first operation and remain disease free at 8 years. We no longer feel that cone excision is appropriate treatment.

Granulomatous lobular mastitis.

The clinical and histological features of six cases of granulomatous lobular mastitis are presented. All six patients were parous. 1-6 years after their last pregnancy with a mean age of 34 years; all had unilateral disease and presented with an extra-areolar breast lump. Histologically, all demonstrated a non-caseating granulomatous inflammatory condition centered on breast lobules; in four women there was an acute inflammatory process with micro-abscess formation. Five of the six cases had persistent or recurrent disease despite wide local excision: surgery might not be the best treatment for recurrent disease.

Gastroduodenal mucosal intussusception causing gastric outlet obstruction: a complication of gastrostomy tubes.

Acquired gastric outlet obstruction occurred in a neonate following gastrostomy, after surgery to salvage a dehisced primary repair of an esophageal atresia. Despite free drainage of the gastrostomy and total support of the neonate, the gastric outlet obstruction persisted and required a further operation. An anterograde gastric mucosal intussusception was found to be the cause.

Microdochectomy for single-duct discharge from the nipple.

Microdochectomy has been the accepted treatment for single-duct nipple discharge. Review of 97 consecutive patients undergoing microdochectomy between 1980 and 1987 revealed a total of eight patients with ductal carcinoma in situ. All of these had pre-operative mammography, results of which were highly suspicious of malignancy in six patients. Tiny foci of ductal carcinoma in situ were found in the two patients with normal mammograms. We suggest an expectant policy in cases where the mammogram is normal, omitting routine microdochectomy.