Pathological features of invasive breast cancer associated with a high risk of local recurrence after tumour excision and radical radiotherapy.

The histological slides of 273 breast cancer patients, treated by local excision and radiotherapy and followed up for 2-6 years, were reviewed in search of factors predictive of local recurrence. Local recurrence was found to be most closely related to the combination of a high proportion of intraduct carcinoma and extensive necrosis (comedocarcinoma). This latter group of 18 patients had a local recurrence rate of 50%. These patients are of particular interest since they form a small group with readily identifiable histological features.