Morphometric studies in intraductal breast carcinoma using computerized image analysis.

A morphometric study was performed using computerized image analysis on the histologic specimens of 26 patients with intraductal carcinoma of the breast and 26 normal control patients. A significant incidence of necrosis (56%) was observed in the breast ducts containing intraductal carcinoma. This was characterized by one or more areas of necrosis surrounded by a rim of viable tumor cells. The mean diameter of the ducts containing intraductal carcinoma was 349 microns compared with a mean diameter of 90 microns for the normal ducts. The mean diameter of the ducts containing necrosis was 470 microns compared with a mean diameter of 192 microns for the ducts containing a solid pattern of intraductal carcinoma. Central necrosis occurred in 94% of the ducts more than 180 microns in radius, whereas only 34% of the ducts less than 180 microns in size contained necrosis. The width of the viable neoplastic tissue was less than 180 microns in 91% of the ducts. These results are analogous to the findings of Thomlinson and Gray in human lung tumor cords and provide indirect evidence for the existence of a hypoxic compartment in intraductal carcinoma of the breast. This could be an explanation for the higher local failure rate after conservative surgery and irradiation for infiltrating cancers containing an extensive intraductal component.