BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in patients with breast cancer is unclear. Lymphatic invasion may mainly represent the selective affinity of breast cancer cells for lymph nodes. This study was undertaken to evaluate the presence of vascular invasion that may reflect systemic disease as a predictor of disease recurrence in breast cancer, separate from lymphatic invasion of the primary tumor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the cases of 263 consecutive female patients with primary breast cancer who underwent a radical breast operation. We examined the relationship between recurrence and the prognostic significance of clinico-pathological factors, particularly lymphatic (Iy) and vascular invasion (v). RESULTS: The presence of lymphatic invasion and that of vascular invasion were significant in univariate analysis. The presence of vascular invasion was an independent prognostic factor, but lymphatic invasion lost its prognostic significance in multivariate analysis. Among the 91 patients in the ly-/v- group, 5 (5.5%) had disease recurrence, and among the 73 patients in the ly+/v- group, 5 (6.8%) had disease recurrence. On the other hand, among the 95 patients in the ly+/v+ group, 19 (20.0%) had a recurrence, and among the 3 patients in the ly-/v+ group, one had a recurrence. It is interesting to note that despite the presence of lymphatic invasion, the group without vascular invasion (ly+/v-) had a few patients with distant metastases, a result which is similar to that of the ly-/v- group. CONCLUSION: The presence of vascular invasion, but not lymphatic invasion, could be an indicator of high biological aggressiveness and may be a valid prognostic factor for breast cancer.
BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in patients with breast cancer is unclear. Lymphatic invasion may mainly represent the selective affinity of breast cancer cells for lymph nodes. This study was undertaken to evaluate the presence of vascular invasion that may reflect systemic disease as a predictor of disease recurrence in breast cancer, separate from lymphatic invasion of the primary tumor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the cases of 263 consecutive female patients with primary breast cancer who underwent a radical breast operation. We examined the relationship between recurrence and the prognostic significance of clinico-pathological factors, particularly lymphatic (Iy) and vascular invasion (v). RESULTS: The presence of lymphatic invasion and that of vascular invasion were significant in univariate analysis. The presence of vascular invasion was an independent prognostic factor, but lymphatic invasion lost its prognostic significance in multivariate analysis. Among the 91 patients in the ly-/v- group, 5 (5.5%) had disease recurrence, and among the 73 patients in the ly+/v- group, 5 (6.8%) had disease recurrence. On the other hand, among the 95 patients in the ly+/v+ group, 19 (20.0%) had a recurrence, and among the 3 patients in the ly-/v+ group, one had a recurrence. It is interesting to note that despite the presence of lymphatic invasion, the group without vascular invasion (ly+/v-) had a few patients with distant metastases, a result which is similar to that of the ly-/v- group. CONCLUSION: The presence of vascular invasion, but not lymphatic invasion, could be an indicator of high biological aggressiveness and may be a valid prognostic factor for breast cancer.
Entities:
Keywords:
Vascular invasion; breast cancer; lymphatic invasion; prognosis
Authors: Takao Kato; Francesco Pezzella; Graham Steers; Leticia Campo; Russell D Leek; Helen Turley; Shingo Kameoka; Toshio Nishikawa; Adrian L Harris; Kevin C Gatter; Stephen Fox Journal: Int J Clin Exp Pathol Date: 2014-10-15
Authors: Hong Jun Kim; Min Jee Jo; Bo Ram Kim; Jung Lim Kim; Yoon A Jeong; Yoo Jin Na; Seong Hye Park; Suk-Young Lee; Dae-Hee Lee; Hye Seung Lee; Baek-Hui Kim; Sun Il Lee; Byung Wook Min; Young Do Yoo; Sang Cheul Oh Journal: PLoS One Date: 2017-05-04 Impact factor: 3.240