Association between the actual doubling times of primary breast cancer with histopathologic characteristics and Wolfe's parenchymal mammographic patterns.

This study identifies associations between the actual doubling time of primary mammary cancers with histopathologic characteristics and Wolfe's parenchymal mammographic patterns. Seventy microscopic criteria and Wolfe's mammographic parenchymal patterns were coded for 32 primary breast cancers on which actual volume doubling times were calculated from serial mammographic views of tumor nucleus shadows. Circumscribed cancer margin and papillary intraductal growth were associated with slow-growing breast cancers. More anaplastic nuclear grade was associated with faster-growing cancers. No association could be established between doubling time and parenchymal patterns as described by Wolfe.