NUCLEAR SHAPE AND AXILLARY METASTASES IN BREAST-CANCER ANALYTIC MORPHOMETRY OF ASPIRATION SMEARS

The aim of this work was to seek quantitative parameters other than di mensions to describe nuclear shape and, by this means, to determine th e sum of contour irregularities and large asymmetries and seek a conne ction with the biologic behavior of the tumor. Nuclei of the cells obt ained from 57 aspiration smears of breast cancers were studied. Dimens ional parameters (area, perimeter, maximum diameter and roundness fact or) and analytic parameters were computed by the Shape Analytical Morp hometry software system to evaluate both contour irregularities and as ymmetry of nuclear shape. All the tumors were subdivided according to their diameters into two groups: T1 tumors, the maximum diameter of wh ich was <2 cm (18 eases), and T2 tumors, the maximum diameter of which was >2 cm and <5 cm (39 cases). Among T1 tumors, both dimensional and analytic parameters were highly significant (P<.001) in distinguishin g tumors with (N+) and tumors without (N-) axillary metastases, while among larger tumors (T2) only the analytic parameters showed degrees o f significance, albeit variable. It could be inferred that in smaller tumors, aggressiveness is related to an increase in nuclear dimensions and shape distortions more so than in larger tumors.