Prognostic value of prominent DCIS component in the breast-conserving therapy of stage I and II invasive ductal breast cancer

The aim of this study was to determine the presence and histological grade of prominent ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and the relationship between t he histological grade of DCIS and the grade of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast to local recurrence and survival. We have analysed 175 patients with stage I and II invasive ductal breast carcinoma who underwent breast- conserving therapy in the period 1987-1994. Patients were divided into thos e with carcinomas showing prominent DCIS (74 patients), and those with tumo urs without a DCIS component (101 patients). Ten patients developed recurre nces and were treated by hormonal and/or chemotherapy. Local recurrence was observed in 2 (2%) patients without, and in 8 (10.8%) patients with promin ent DCIS (chi(2)=12.954, P<0.005). There was a highly significant correlati on between DCIS type and the histological grade of the infiltrating carcino ma (chi(2)=73.77, P<0.001). Our results suggest that the patients with poor ly differentiated DCIS are significantly more likely to develop recurrence than patients with intermediately or well-differentiated DCIS.