BREAST-CANCER - SEASONAL PRESENTATION OF CASES WITH POSITIVE EFFERENTVASCULAR STATUS IN THE AXILLARY NODES

Seasonal variation has been demonstrated in connection with several as pects of primary breast carcinoma. This report describes a seasonal va riation in the growth of breast carcinoma in the axillary nodes that h as not been reported previously and has prognostic implications. The n odes from a series of 301 node-positive breast cancer patients were in vestigated prospectively for the presence/absence of tumour cells in t heir efferent lymphatic vessels, the former being of poor prognosis. T heir presence, i.e. positive EV-status, is common in nodes with establ ished tumour growth. Many more patients coming to operation in the fir st 6 months of the year showed such findings, while more of negative E V-status were found in the second half (chi(2)=13, P<0.0005). Positive EV-status was, as expected, associated with poor prognosis relative t o EV-negative (chi(2)=14). Its prognostic impact did not alter with se ason. It may be of note that seasonal variation in the arrival of micr ometastases at the nodes has also been reported recently. These two ph enomena may have a common pathogenesis.