Tubular carcinoma of the breast: outcome and loco-regional recurrence in 307 patients

Purpose The aim of this study is to describe the University of Florence experience in evaluating clinical, pathologic and treatment factors as they are related to the outcome and loco-regional recurrence in patients with tubular breast carcinoma. Material and methods Three hundred and seven patients (median age 56.4 years, range 26–91 years) with histological verified tubular carcinoma of the breast were consecutively treated at University of Florence from 1976 to 2001. All patients were followed for a median of 8.4 years (range 3 months to 20 years). Thirty-seven women underwent mastectomy and 270 underwent breast conserving surgery. Positive axillary nodes were found in 15% of patients. Fifty-two patients did not undergo radiotherapy to whole breast after having breast conserving surgery. Tamoxifen was prescribed in 108 patients and chemotherapy in 21 patients, 15 out of 21 had positive axillary nodes. Results Cause specific survival was 99.6, 99.2 and 97.2% at 3, 5 and 10 years. Local recurrence rate was 1.9, 3.6 and 4.7% at 3, 5 and 10 years. Univariate statistical analysis was significant for specific survival and local recurrence for angiolymphatic invasion only (p=0.0004). Conclusions In the absence of axillary disease and angiolymphatic invasion, conserving surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy is effective treatment of disease.