Cytologic presentation of mammary carcinoma on aspiration biopsy smears

Needle aspirates from 598 histologically verified carcinomas of the female breast were reviewed. Four cytologic types were recognized: duct cell, acinic cell, apocrine cell, and mucous cell carcinoma. Duct cell carcinomas were further subdivided into ductal, ductular-acinar, monolayered and dissociated types. The highest ten-year survival rate was found in mucous cell carcinoma, and the lowest ten-year rates in acinic and dissociated duct cell types. The derivation of the mammary carcinomas is discussed on the basis of comparisons with cellular aspirates from benign mammary lesions. It is suggested that ductular-acinar, monolayered, dissociated and acinic cell carcinomas, which comprised about 50 per cent of the tumors originate in the lobular structures of the mammary gland. The problems involved in distinguishing well differentiated forms of the mammary carcinomas from the corresponding benign structures in needle aspirates are also discussed.