THE EXTENSIVE INTRADUCTAL COMPONENT IN EA RLY-STAGE BREAST-CANCER - VALUE OF MAMMOGRAPHY

The presence of an extensive intraductal component (EIC) in patients w ith infiltrating ductal carcinoma is a major factor for predicting loc al recurrence after breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy A retro spective study including 67 consecutive cases of stage I and II infilt rating ductal carcinomas of the breast was conducted to determine the predictive values of mammographic features associated with the presenc e or absence of EIC. 43 % of the lesions contained a pathologically ve rified EIC. 63 % (25/40) of lesions showing mammographic evidence of c alcifications with or without a mass were associated with an EIC. In c ontrast, only 17 % (4/24) of carcinomas without calcifications demonst rated an EIC. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001 ). Lesions with calcifications greater than 3 cm in extent were signif icantly (p < 0,01) more likely to have an EIC (8/9; 89 %) than those w ith calcifications less than 3 cm in extent (17/31; 55 %). Furthermore , no patient with a palpable mass who had normal findings on mammogram s was diagnosed to have an EIC.