Relation of tumor size, lymph node status, and survival in 24,740 breast cancer cases

Two of the most important prognostic indicators for breast cancer are tumor size and extent of axillary lymph node involvement. Data on 24,740 cases recorded in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute were used to evaluate the breast cancer survival experience in a representative sample of women from the United States. Actuarial (life table) methods were used to investigate the 5-year relative survival rates in cases with known operative/pathologic axillary lymph node status and primary tumor diameter. Survival rates varied from 45.5% for tumor diameters equal to or greater than 5 cm with positive axillary nodes to 96.3% for tumors less than 2 cm and with no involved nodes. The relation between tumor size and lymph node status was investigated in detail. Tumor diameter and lymph node status were found to act as independent but additive prognostic indicators. As tumor size increased, survival decreased regardless of lymph node status; and as lymph node involvement increased, survival status also decreased regardless of tumor size. A linear relation was found between tumor diameter and the percent of cases with positive lymph node involvement. The results of our analyses suggest that disease progression to distant sites does not occur exclusively via the axillary lymph nodes, but rather that lymph node status serves as an indicator of the tumor's ability to spread.     

Predictive Role of Tumor Size in Breast Cancer with AxillaryLymph Node Involvement - Can Size of Primary Tumor beused to Omit an Unnecessary Axillary Lymph Node Dissection?

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. The aim of this study wasto investigate the relationship between tumor size and axillary lymph node involvement (ALNI) in patients withinvasive lesions, to find the best candidates for a full axillary dissection. Additionally, we evaluated the associationbetween tumor size and invasive behavior. The study was based on data from 789 patients with histopathologicallyproven invasive breast cancer diagnosed in Shohada University hospital in Tehran, Iran (1993-2009). Cinicaland histopathological characteristics of tumors were collected. Patients were divided into 6 groups accordingto primary tumor size: group I (0.1-≤1cm), II (1.1-≤2cm), III (2.1-≤3cm), IV (3.1-≤4cm), V (4.1-≤5cm) andVI (>5cm). The mean(±SD) size of primary tumor at the time of diagnosis was 3.59±2.69 cm that graduallydeclined during the course of study. There was a significant correlation between tumor size and ALNI (p<0.001).A significant positive correlation between primary tumor size and involvement of surrounding tissue was alsofound (p<0.001). The mean number of LNI in group VI was significantly higher than other groups (p<0.05).Weobserved more involvement of lymph nodes, blood vessels, skin and areola-nipple tissue with increase in tumorsize.We found 15.3% overall incidence of ALNI in tumors ≤2 cm, indicating the need for more investigation toomit full axillary lymph node dissection with an acceptable risk for tumors below this diameter. While in patientswith tumors ≥2 cm, 84.3% of them had nodal metastases, so the best management for this group would be a fullALND. Tumor size is a significant predictor of ALNM and involvement of surrounding tissue, so that an exactestimation of the size of primary tumor is necessary prior to surgery to make the best decision for managementof patients with invasive breast cancer.     

乳腺癌前哨淋巴结转移的相关因素分析及病理学研究

目的探究乳腺癌前哨淋巴结转移的相关因素。方法回顾性分析162例前哨淋巴结活检技术的乳腺癌患者的临床资料,对乳腺癌临床病理指标与前哨淋巴结转移之间的关系进行因素分析。结果前哨淋巴结阳性共83例,前哨淋巴结阴性共79例。2组间的年龄、性别组成、体重指数、吸烟史和饮酒史等的差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。原发肿瘤位置、活检方式与前哨淋巴结转移无关(P>0.05),但病理类型与前哨淋巴结转移有关。随着肿瘤的变大,灵敏度、特异性也随之升高。多元Logistic回归分析显示,肿瘤直径和病理类型是影响前哨淋巴结转移的独立危险因素(P<0.05)。结论乳腺癌前哨淋巴结转移考虑与肿瘤大小及病理类型相关,但具体病例需具体分析后考虑是否可行前哨淋巴结活检术。     

Increased mammography use and its impact on earlier breast cancer detection in Vermont, 1975-1999

BACKGROUND: A trend toward earlier breast carcinoma detection in the United States has been attributed to screening mammography, although direct evidence linking this trend to the increased use of mammography in a general population is lacking. This study examined the effects of mammography on tumor size and axillary lymph node metastasis in Vermont over 25 years. METHODS: Pathology and mammography data from 3499 Vermont women who were diagnosed with invasive breast carcinoma during 1975-1984, 1989-1990, and 1995-1999 were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the effects of age, mammography use, and period on the odds of a tumor < or = 2 cm and the odds of negative lymph nodes. RESULTS: The proportion of breast tumors that were detected by screening mammography increased from 2% during 1974-1984 to 36% during 1995-1999 (P < 0.001), and these tumors were more likely to measure < or = 2 cm than tumors that were detected by other methods. Among women age > 50 years, the odds ratio (OR) was 4.5, with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of 3.5-6.4. The effect was smaller in younger women (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-3.0). Mammographic detection increased the odds of negative lymph nodes by a similar amount in both age groups, although women age > 50 years were more likely to have negative lymph nodes than younger women (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.6). Tumor size and lymph node metastasis also were related to the number of mammograms and to the mammographic interval. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the trend toward earlier detection in Vermont was due to mammography. Mammography had a lesser effect on tumor size among younger women, which may be related to less frequent screening, although its effect on lymph node metastasis was not age dependent. Women age < 50 years were more likely to have positive lymph nodes, independent of the method of detection or the frequency of mammography.     

Predicting axillary lymph node metastases in breast cancer patients with tumors under 2 cm in size

Background  To assess whether lymph nodes are consistently negative below a certain tumor size, we investigated the incidence and predictors of lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients with tumors under 2 cm in size. Methods  A total of 238 breast cancer patients with tumors under 2 cm in size were retrospectively reviewed. Results  Preoperatively, 219 tumors were palpable while 19 were not. There was no lymph node metastasis in the nonpalpable tumors (n=19) or those 5 mm or less in size (n=1) tumors, but 17% of those greater than 5 mm but less than 10 mm (n=30) and 29% of those greater than 10 mm but 20 mm or less (n=188) tumors had nodal involvement. Conclusions  Our sample size was too small to determine a specific tumor size that would warrant omission of axillary lymph node dissection. However, axillary lymph node dissection may be avoided in breast cancer patients with clinically nonpalpable tumors.     

Breast metastasis: an unusual manifestation of a malignant carcinoid tumor.

A metastasis from a bronchial carcinoid tumor presented as an isolated breast mass in a 58-year-old female. A review of the English literature revealed four cases of metastatic carcinoid to the breast that presented as an isolated breast mass. In each case, radical mastectomy was performed after the lesion had been interpreted clinically and pathologically as a primary carcinoma. When the primary tumor was excised, all cases had either regional lymph node or liver involvement. A mass was the usual presenting sign of the metastatic deposit. No metastasis was reported to be greater than 2 cm in diameter. No axillary lymph nodes were reported to contain tumor. Frozen section preparations may not be adequate to differentiate a primary carcinoma of the breast from a metastatic carcinoid tumor, thereby necessitating permanent sections, special stains, review of previously resected neoplasms, or electron microscopy. The first mammogram of a metastatic carcinoid to the breast is reported with this case.     

The use of Doppler ultrasound in evaluation of breast cancer metastasis to axillary lymph nodes

The formation of microvessels in tumors by angiogenesis is considered to be an important prognostic factor, and closely correlates with lymph node metastasis. We used color Doppler ultrasound to examine the relationship between the amount of blood vessels in tumors and pulsatility index (PI), and tumor size in breast cancers, with and without regional lymph node metastasis. Doppler ultrasound was performed on 80 patients with breast cancer prior to surgery. The concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) within the tumors was measured following surgery in 42 cases chosen at random. In the negative metastatic nodes group, the number of vessels in the tumor correlated positively with tumor diameter. In the positive metastatic nodes group, however, the number of blood vessels in the tumor did not correlate with tumor diameter. Differences in tumor vascularity between node positive and negative groups were useful in determining the status of node metastasis in subsequent analysis. Fifteen of 17 cases of tumors that measured <20 mm, and in which there were no blood vessels, were node-negative. There were no node-negative tumors measuring >20 mm in diameter (p=0.003). Conversely, in nodes with positive metastasis, blood vessels were observed in 5 of 7 tumors that measured <15 mm in diameter (p=0.019). These findings may be useful in estimating the likelihood of metastasis to regional lymph nodes. PI was directly proportional to tumor size in the negative nodes group (r=0.47). There was no such correlation in the positive nodes group. There was no correlation between VEGF concentration in the tumor and the number of blood vessels in that tumor. In conclusion color Doppler analysis of blood vessels appears to be useful in predicting lymph node metastasis, especially for small tumors.     

Predictive Factors for the Status of Non-sentinel Nodes in Breast Cancer Patients with Tumor Positive Sentinel Nodes

In patients with tumor positive sentinel nodes, axillary lymph node dissection is routinely performed while a majority of these patients have no tumor involvement in the non-sentinel nodes. The authors tried to identify a subgroup of patients with a tumor positive sentinel node without non-sentinel node tumor involvement. In 135 consecutive patients with tumor positive sentinel nodes and axillary lymph node dissection performed, the incidence of non-sentinel node involvement according to tumor and sentinel node related factors was examined. The size of the sentinel node metastasis, size of primary tumor and number of tumor positive sentinel nodes were the three factors significantly predicting the status of the non-sentinel nodes. The size of the sentinel node metastasis was the strongest predictive factor (P < 0.0001). In a subgroup of 41 patients with a stage T1 tumor and micrometastatic involvement in the sentinel node only 2 patients (5%) had non-sentinel node involvement. In patients with small primary tumors and micrometastatic involvement of the sentinel nodes, the chance of non-sentinel node involvement is small but cannot be discarded. Because the clinical relevance of micrometastases in lymph nodes is still unclear it is not advisable to omit axillary lymph node dissection even in these patients.     

Efficacy of extrapleural internal mammary node dissection in breast cancer

The results of extended radical mastectomy for breast cancer in 180 randomized patients treated at this department between 1965 and 1984 are reported. About 18% of the women with breast cancer had internal mammary lymph node metastasis. The incidence of metastasis in internal mammary lymph nodes increased from 9.5% when the tumor was locate in the outer half to 24.7% when it was in the center or inner half. The increase in the number of axillary lymph node metastasis was correlated with the increase in the incidence of internal mammary lymph node metastasis. The five-year survival rate of patients with no internal mammary lymph node involvement was better than that of involvement (81% versus 47%). But when the internal mammary nodes alone were involved without axillary lymph node metastasis, 83% of the patients survived for five years.     

未分化型早期胃癌的淋巴结转移规律分析

目的探讨未分化型早期胃癌(EGC)的淋巴结转移规律。方法对1994年1月至2008年12月手术治疗的335例早期胃癌的临床病理学资料进行回顾性分析。结果未分化型早期胃癌的淋巴结转移率为17.9%,其中黏膜内癌(M癌)和黏膜下层癌(SM癌)的淋巴结转移率分别为10.5%、25.6%,直径≤2.0cm和>2.0cm的淋巴结转移率分别为8.0%和25.8%,脉管瘤栓阳性和脉管瘤栓阴性的淋巴结转移率为50.0%和16.3%。单因素分析显示,肿瘤大小、浸润深度、脉管瘤栓与未分化型早期胃癌淋巴结转移相关(P<0.05)。多因素分析显示,肿瘤最大径>2cm、黏膜下层浸润和脉管瘤栓是未分化型早期胃癌淋巴结转移的独立危险因素(P<0.05)。结论肿瘤直径≤2cm、黏膜内癌、无脉管瘤栓的未分化型早期胃癌发生淋巴结转移风险小。     

Significant correlation between micrometastasis in the lymph nodes and reduced expression of E-cadherin in early gastric cancer

Background. E-cadherin has been recognized as an impor-tant factor associated with tumor metastasis. However, the relationship between micrometastasis in the lymph nodes and the expression of E-cadherin in the primary tumor in gastric cancer remains unclear. Methods. Two consecutive sections of 4522 lymph nodes from 162 patients with early gastric cancer were prepared for simultaneous hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and cytokeratin (CK) staining. Sections of primary tumors from 135 of these patients were prepared for E-cadherin immunostaining. Results. The incidence of lymph node involvement was significantly increased, from 6.8% (11/162 patients) by H&E staining, to 27% (43/162 patients) by CK immunostaining ( P < 0.0001). Micrometastasis in the lymph node was found in 32 of 151 (21%) patients who had no lymph node metastasis evidenced by H&E staining. Micro-lymph node metastasis was frequently found in tumors with a diameter more than 1.0 cm, of those that were poorly differentiated, deeply invaded, showed lymphatic on vascular invasion, and in those that showed reduced expression of E-cadherin. Loss of expression of E-cadherin in the primary tumor was closely correlated with micro-lymph node metastasis. Patients with tumors with micro-lymph node metastasis detected by CK immunostaining had a significantly lower 5-year survival rate ( P < 0.01) than those without such metastases. Conclusion. Tumors more than 1.0 cm in diameter and those that exhibit poor differentiation, deep invasion (i.e., to the submucosa), lymphatic or vascular invasion, and reduced expression of E-cadherin are risk factors for lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer. Thus, it is recommended that cancers confined to the mucosa (m-cancers) that are more than 1.0 cm in diameter should not be treated with limited surgery without lymphadenectomy. Received: March 27, 2001 / Accepted: May 10, 2001     

肿瘤位置等临床病理特征与分化型甲状腺癌淋巴结转移的关系

目的 探讨肿瘤位置、体积及甲状腺被膜浸润情况等临床病理特征与分化型甲状腺癌颈淋巴结转移的关系。方法 回顾性分析2010年7月至2013年7月四川省肿瘤医院头颈外科收治的初次手术治疗的248例患者临床及病理资料。结果 肿块位置、最大直径、数量、浸出腺体外膜及受累腺叶数等特征对Ⅵ区和Ⅱ~Ⅴ区淋巴结状态均有影响;低龄与Ⅵ区淋巴结转移有关。肿块位于下极时,Ⅵ区阳转率最高达74.29%,Ⅱ~Ⅴ区仅45.00%,而当肿块位于上极时Ⅵ区为58.33%,Ⅱ~Ⅴ区却高达84.21%。肿块直径＞1 cm和2 cm分别为中央区和颈侧区阳转率上升的临界值。结论 肿块位于下极、直径>1 cm、多发、多叶受累、浸出被膜、低龄这些特征可作为中央区淋巴结转移的高危因素;而肿块处于上极、直径＞2 cm、多发、多叶受累、浸出被膜等特征可能为颈侧区淋巴结转移的高危因素;应当尤其注意肿块位置与不同区域淋巴结状态的关系以及肿块体积作为区域淋巴结转移的高危因素时其临界值可能不同。     

早期胃癌缩小手术与扩大手术治疗结果的比较

目的：探讨早期胃癌缩小手术的适应征。方法：对１３８例早期胃癌的淋巴结转移特点及缩小与扩大手术治疗结果进行研究。结果：粘膜内癌淋巴结转移率为５．１％,其中Ⅰ站为３．９％,Ⅱ站为．３％,１ｃｍ以下癌灶无淋巴结转移,１．５ｃｍ以上凹陷型早期胃癌开始出现淋巴结转移。粘膜下层癌淋巴结转移率为１８．３％,其中Ⅰ站淋巴结转移率为１８．３％Ⅱ站为１ｃｍ大小的癌灶开始发现淋巴结转移。随访５年以上的１０９例中的 ３３     

The correlation between the spread of metastases by level in the axillary nodes and disease-free survival in breast cancer. A multifactorial analysis

Axillary lymph nodes were separated from 492 radical or modified radical mastectomies for primary breast cancer and examined according to their anatomical level corresponding to their position along the theoretical pathway of lymph drainage from the breast. The patterns of metastasis and the relationship between metastatized levels and disease-free survival were investigated to see whether complete axillary dissection is necessary for the staging and the planning of adjuvant therapy in breast cancer.Progressive involvement from level I (proximal) to level III (distal) was found in 206 specimens (80.8% of tumors with axillary metastases), while discontinuous or “skip” metastases were present in 49 (19.2%), including 38 (14.9%) with positive nodes at level II or III but not at level I. “Skip” metastasis was more frequent when fewer than four nodes were positive, and not related to either the size and the primary tumor or its location.The effect of age, menopausal status, tumor size, node status, number of positive nodes, anatomic level of axillary node involvement, estrogen and progesterone receptors, and adjuvant therapies on disease-free survival was evaluated using a multivariate proportional hazard model and life table analysis. This showed that disease-free survival was strongly related to the number of positive nodes (P < 0.001), tumor size (P = 0.001) and level of node involvement (P = 0.01) as independent prognostic factors. Moreover, the subset of patients with four or more positive nodes and involvements of level III had a higher risk of recurrence (25% recurrence-free patients 5 years after mastectomy).The high frequency of “skip” mestastases and the prognostic value of both the level of involvement and the number of metastatic nodes suggest that a complete axillary dissection is needed in the surgical management of breast cancer to obtain all the data useful in the planning of adjuvant therapy.     

Is risk of axillary lymph node metastasis associated with proximity of breast cancer to the skin?

Introduction Risk of axillary lymph node metastasis, the most important predictor of disease-free and overall survival in breast cancer patients, is estimated primarily from histologic features of the primary cancer including tumor size, histologic type and grade, and hormone receptor expression. Based upon a clinical impression, and research showing that palpable cancers are more likely to be node positive, we hypothesized that primary breast cancers more proximal to the skin of the breast are more likely to be positive for axillary lymph node metastasis.Methods This is a retrospective medical record review of 209 women with stage T1 or T2 (≤5.0 cm) invasive breast cancer who received dedicated breast ultrasound at a single mammography clinic in Columbia, South Carolina, between 1997 and 2002.Results None of the 26 cancers more than 14 mm from the skin had metastasized to axillary lymph nodes. In logistic regression modeling only tumor size, histologic grade and tumor proximity to the skin (as a categorical variable) were significantly associated with odds of axillary metastasis. Among cancers within 14 mm of the skin, proximity was not an independent predictor.Conclusions Stage T1 and T2 breast cancers located less proximally to the skin may be less likely to spread to the axillary lymph nodes. We observed what appears to be a threshold at approximately 14 mm from the skin (based upon this group of patients): none of 26 cancers below this level had spread to axillary nodes. Further research is needed to confirm these provocative findings.     

Atypical ezrin localization as a marker of locally advanced breast cancer

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) was initially characterized as a large primary tumor (≥5 cm), associated with or without skin or chest-wall involvement, fixed axillary lymph nodes, or disease spread to the ipsilateral internal mammary or supraclavicular nodes. Since 2002, LABC has been reclassified to include smaller stage IIB tumors (2 to <5 cm) with lymph node involvement, or stages IIIA-IIIB (≥5 cm) with or without nodal involvement. Despite the rather common presentation of LABC, it remains a poorly understood and highly variable clinical presentation of breast cancer that is a challenge to treatment. Here, we characterized a panel of breast tumors of known stage, grade, and key clinical-pathological parameters for the expression of the protein ezrin, which is involved in promoting signaling of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway in response to extracellular and tumor micro-environmental signals, and is involved in breast cancer invasion and metastasis. We show that ezrin, which resides primarily in the apical membrane in normal breast epithelium, relocalizes primarily to the cytoplasm in >80 % of traditional (T3) invasive ductal LABC tumors (≥5 cm). Cytoplasmic ezrin is very strongly associated with a single characteristic in breast cancer-large tumor size. In contrast, in large non-malignant fibroadenomas, ezrin staining was similar to that of normal breast epithelium. Small (T1, 1 cm) invasive ductal carcinomas displayed largely apical membrane and perinuclear ezrin localization with weak cytoplasmic staining. Cytoplasmic ezrin localization was also associated with positive lymph node status, but no other clinical-pathological features, including hormone receptor status, histological or nuclear grade of tumor cell. The cytoplasmic relocalization of ezrin may therefore represent a novel marker for large malignant tumor size, reflecting the unique biology of LABC.     

Obesity and body fat distribution and breast cancer prognosis

This study addresses the effect of obesity and body fat distribution on axillary lymph node involvement, tumor size, and estrogen receptor (ER) level in breast cancer patients. Anthropometric measurements were prospectively obtained on 248 consecutively and newly diagnosed women with invasive breast cancer. The anthropometric measurements evaluated were abdomen, thigh, subscapular, and midaxillary skinfolds; weight; and height. Weight and Quetelet Index (kg/m2) were significantly (P = 0.001) associated with lymph node involvement in postmenopausal patients. The abdomen:thigh skinfold ratio was significantly higher in premenopausal patients (P = 0.004) and postmenopausal (P = 0.03) without axillary node involvement compared with women with 4+ axillary node involvement. The abdomen:thigh skinfold was higher (P = 0.05) in women with smaller breast cancers (less than 2.0 cm) and higher ER levels. Weight and Quetelet Index did not affect tumor size or ER level. This study demonstrated that obese postmenopausal women who developed breast cancer tend to have more axillary node involvement than their leaner counterparts. Generalized obesity did not affect tumor size or ER level. Premenopausal and postmenopausal women with upper body fat distribution appear to be a subset of women who have a more favorable prognosis as measured by less lymph node involvement, smaller tumors, and higher levels of ER in their tumors.     

Preoperative therapy in breast cancer: lessons from the treatment of locally advanced disease

The greater use of screening has changed the stage distribution of breast cancer, and an increasing number of patients are diagnosed with earlier stages of the disease. Still, locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) remains a major clinical problem in the United States and a common presentation in many parts of the world. There is no standard definition of LABC. One commonly used includes patients with large primary tumors greater than 5 cm (T3) or with skin/chest wall involvement (T4), and/or fixed axillary (N2) or ipsilateral internal mammary (N3) lymph node involvement. According to the tumor node metastasis staging, these usually include stage IIIa (T0-2N2 or T3N1-2) and stage IIIb (T4Nx or TxN3) disease. Inflammatory breast cancer (T4d) is included in most classifications despite its distinct clinical behavior and worse prognosis overall, but it serves as an example of combined modality intervention. Historically, the term LABC has been applied to those clinical presentations where the disease is considered inoperable. However, these therapeutic principles (including preoperative or primary systemic therapy [PST]) are increasingly being applied to patients presenting with tumors greater than 5 cm and negative lymph nodes (stage IIb-T3N0) or even smaller tumors, who are considered to have operable disease and a better outcome than those traditionally classified as having LABC. PST is increasingly being used in otherwise operable stage I and II patients aiming at greater rates of breast conservation and earlier efficacy assessment. This article reviews many of these issues and ongoing research questions.     

Pathologic analysis of tumor size and lymph node status in multifocal/multicentric breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND: For unifocal invasive breast carcinoma, increasing tumor diameter predictably correlates with a greater frequency of lymph node involvement, thereby facilitating treatment decisions. In invasive breast tumors presenting with multiple nodules, however, it is unclear whether tumor size correlates with lymph node dissemination in a similar manner. METHODS: The authors analyzed a series of 101 invasive breast carcinomas presenting with multiple macroscopically apparent lesions (2 foci: n = 77; 3: n = 20; 4: n = 4). Two different assessments of the tumor size (diameter of largest focus and combined diameter of all the foci) were then correlated with the status of axillary lymph nodes. For comparison with unifocal tumors, the authors used both external and internal control series (the latter consisting of 469 patients from their institution). The associations between lymph node status, tumor size, and multifocality were modeled using univariate and multivariate logistic regression, for each modality of tumor size assessment. RESULTS: The logistic curves for multifocal and unifocal tumors were significantly different when the largest diameter was used as a tumor size estimate. Multifocal cases had higher frequencies of lymph node involvement than unifocal lesions of similar size category. In a multivariate logistic regression, the odds ratio of positive lymph node status in multifocal versus unifocal cases was 2.8 using largest diameter as a tumor size estimate (P < 0.0001). When the combined diameter assessment was used, however, the regression curve of multifocal cases was similar to that of unifocal cases, and the frequency of lymph node positivity was not significantly different in multifocal versus unifocal cases of the same size (odds ratio, 1.4; P = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: The authors' results show that, if aggregate diameters are used, unifocal and multifocal breast carcinomas are similar with respect to frequency of regional lymph node metastasis. Currently used algorithms, which use the diameter of the largest nodule, result in understaging of multifocal breast carcinomas due to underestimation of actual tumor size.     

A clinicopathological study of resected non-small cell lung cancers 2 cm or less in diameter: a prognostic assessment

The detection and diagnosis of small-sized (2 cm or less) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has increased with the development of computed tomography (CT). Over 80% of 5-year survival rate has been reported in surgically treated peripheral lung cancer. There are systematic mediastinal and hilar lymph node involvement pleural invasion and intrapulmonary metastasis even with tumor diameter less than 2 cm. The appropriate surgical procedure for such kinds of lung cancer is lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection. To evaluate the prognostic factors and establish the optimal surgical strategy, we analyzed the clinicopathologic features and survival benefit in different tumor size of peripheral small-sized NSCLC. Among the resected lung cancer cases between January 1999 and July 2001, 185 patients were retrospectively analyzed in surgical methods, lymph node involvement, CT scan findings and survival rates. Survival was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test. Lymph node involvement was recognized in 26(14.05%) patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of lymph node involvement between tumors 1.6–2.0 cm (17.82%) in diameter than in those 1.0–1.5 cm (11.94%). There was no lymph node metastasis in tumors less than 1.0 cm in diameter. The 5-year survival rates with or without lymph node involvement were 89.98 and 46.15%, respectively, showing significant difference (P = 0.000). The overall 5-year survival rate was 83.78%. The 5-year survival rate in tumors 1.6–2.0 cm, 1.0–1.5 cm and less than 1.0 cm in diameter was 80.20, 85.07 and 100%, respectively, and showing significant difference(P = 0.035). The 5-year survival rate of 19 patients showing ground-glass opacity (GGO) on CT scan was 94.74% without any metastasis and recurrence after operation. There are systematic mediastinal and hilar lymph node involvement even with tumor diameter less than 2 cm. The results of the present study suggested that systematic lymph node dissection is necessary even for cases with tumor diameter less than 2 cm. However, if the tumor is within 1.0 cm in diameter with obvious GGO showing on chest CT scan, these are good candidates for partial resection without mediastinal lymph node dissection.