Minimal breast cancer. Clinical characteristics and treatment results

Out of 3718 breast cancer patients treated at Petrov Research Institute of Oncology 262 patients [7%] proved to have minimal (less than 1 cm in diameter) form of breast cancer. Treatment of minimal breast cancer provides favorable end-results (5-year survival 91.2%, 10-year survival--79.5%). Nevertheless, minimal forms of breast cancer are also characterized by the ability to regional (in 28.5% of cases) and distant (in 10.3% of cases) metastatic spread. Organ preserving operations (sectoral resection of one block with axillary-subclavicular fat) are often (18.5%) followed by local-regional recurrences of the disease. Application of adjuvant chemotherapy with Thio-TEPA in patients with minimal breast cancer with regional metastases decreases frequency of recurrences and distant metastases by 17.8%.