Infiltrating cribriform carcinoma of the breast. A clinico-pathologic and immunohistochemical study of 5 cases.

Clinical and pathological features of five cases of infiltrating cribriform carcinoma (ICC) of the breast observed between 1990 and 1994 are reported. Using histological criteria by Page et al., three cases of pure ICC and two cases of mixed ICC were identified. In the mixed forms, the cribriform component made up about 80% of the neoplasm. After clinical follow-up, from one to five years long, no relapses, axillary lymph nodes or distant metastases were found, even in two cases with very large neoplasms (20 cm and 10 cm, respectively). This report confirms that this type of carcinoma has a very favorable prognosis, especially pure and mixed forms with a predominant cribriform component. Clinical and histological features make ICC a peculiar form of breast carcinoma.