5-YEAR SURVIVAL OF 100 WOMEN WITH CARCINOMA OF THE BREAST DIAGNOSED BY SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY AND NEEDLE-LOCALIZATION BIOPSY

Carcinoma of the breast was studied in 100 women who underwent needle localization and open breast biopsy for lesions found by screening mam mography from January 1980 to May 1987. The average age of the patient s found to have carcinoma was 59.2 years, and 16 percent of patients w ere younger than 50 years of age. Pathologic examination revealed 62 p atients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma, 31 patients with ductal ca rcinoma in situ, and seven patients with infiltrating lobular carcinom a. In 34 patients the carcinoma was microscopic. Thirty-six patients h ad carcinomas less than or equal to 1 centimeter, and 30 patients had carcinomas greater than 1 centimeter. Eighty-four patients were treate d with total mastectomy and axillary dissection. Seven patients were t reated with wide excision, axillary dissection and radiation therapy. Nine patients underwent lesser treatments. Among the 91 patients under going axillary dissection, 82 were node negative, eight had one to thr ee positive nodes, and one had four or more positive nodes. One hundre d percent of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ who underwent axil lary dissections (24 of 31) were node negative. Only two patients rece ived adjuvant hormonal therapy, and one woman received adjuvant chemot herapy. Ah patients were under observation for at least five years or to the time of death (mean follow-up period, 5.8 years). Of the 100 pa tients with complete follow-up, 99 are alive and disease free. Four pa tients with carcinoma that metastisized have died. Three patients are alive with known recurrence. One patient died of other causes six mont hs after carcinoma was diagnosed. Widespread use of screening mammogra phy coupled with judicious use of needle-localization biopsy will lead to the early diagnosis of carcinoma of the breast. Such early diagnos is of carcinoma does lead to an excellent (95 percent) five-year survi val rate.