Tumor-host interrelationships in carcinoma of the female breast.

Three hundred and two carcinomas of the female breast were studied histologically with special reference to the morphologic aspects of the tumor, its surrounding host tissue and the regional lymph nodes. The nuclear grade of the tumor was positively correlated with the five year survival rate of the patient. Tumor metastases in the regional lymph nodes were observed to be a sign of a poor prognosis. The stromal lymphocyte and mast cell reactions did not correlate with the frequency of nodal metastases or the five year survival rate. Sinus histiocytosis in the lymph nodes was a sign of favorable five year survival because of its presence in cancer-free nodes only. The paracortical activity of the lymph nodes was an important determinant of whether or not tumor metastases appear in the node.