BREAST-CANCER - POOR SHORT-TERM PROGNOSIS IN CASES WITH MODERATE LYMPHOCYTE INFILTRATION AT THE TUMOR EDGE - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

Lymphocyte infiltration in breast carcinoma has long been associated w ith favourable prognosis, however it has also been related to poor pro gnosis. In this study of 128 consecutive cases lymphocyte infiltration , its absence, or presence and degree was recorded at the tumour edge adjacent to fatty tissue in 100 cases, to other tissues in the remaini ng 28 in which no such edge was found. In the former there was a highl y significant prognostic difference between those with moderate infilt ration, which was of poor shortterm prognosis, and those with other de grees of infiltration (none, slight and marked). Thus, lymphocyte infi ltration in breast cancer can give information on both good and poor p rognosis in over 80% of cases if its site and degree are taken into co nsideration. The remaining cases are histologically distinct. Their su rvival was similar to that in the total material. The mechanisms invol ved are as yet open to speculation. In view of increasing surgical rel uctance to remove the axillary nodes it is of interest that the presen t investigation can be carried out on the routine diagnostic specimen from the primary and that the relation between survival and axillary n odal status, significant in the total material, no longer held in thes e groups.