[The mammographic aspect and the prognosis of breast carcinoma]

The authors report on 354 consecutive cases of invasive breast carcinoma followed up 3 to 13 years. The prognostic value of the mammographic appearance of cancer, determined according to Broberg, was studied, as well as that of other indicators, such as pT, pN and estrogen receptor content. An association was found between the mammographic appearance and the other prognostic indicators, but such an association was at the limits of statistical significance (pT p = 0.033, pN p = 0.039, ER p = 0.033) and the mammographic patterns associated with more favorable indicators were not consistent across the three variables. Ten-year actuarial overall survival was significantly associated with pT (p < 0.0001), pN (p < 0.0001) or estrogen receptor content (p < 0.001), but not with mammographic appearance. Multivariate analysis confirmed such results. We found no evidence, as suggested in some literature reports, of any association of the mammographic appearance of breast cancer with survival, and we believe that this indicator has no practical use in predicting prognosis in breast cancer patients.