CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE MAMMOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF SCREEN DETECTED INVASIVE BREAST-CANCER AND PATHOLOGICAL PROGNOSTIC FACTORS

The success of any mammographic breast screening programme depends on the detection of carcinomas with overall good prognostic features. Kno wledge of mammographic correlates of prognostic features would therefo re be of interest. The screening mammograms of 212 patients with preva lent round screen detected invasive cancer were assessed by two radiol ogists without knowledge of tumour pathological prognostic indicators. The mammographic findings were then correlated with the following pro gnostic indicators: tumour grade, lymph node stage, and vascular invas ion status. The following radiological appearances showed significant correlation with histological grade: spiculate mass with low histologi cal grade (P = 0.006), and ill-defined mass (P = 0.02), calcification suggestive of comedo DCIS (P = 0.001) and all calcification (P = 0.03) with high histological grade. No correlations were found between lymp h node stage and mammographic features. A significant correlation was found between asymmetric density and the presence of vascular invasion (P = 0.026). Tumours presenting as poorly defined masses and asymmetr ic densities tend to be large and tumours presenting as architectural distortion small at mammographic detection. Significant correlations e xist between tumour grade and mammographic appearances of screen detec ted breast cancer. No correlations exist between mammographic appearan ce and lymph node stage.