Postexcision Mammography Is Indicated After Resection of Ductal Carcinoma-In-Situ of the Breast

Background: The adequacy of excision of ductal carcinoma-in-situ (DCIS) usually is confirmed with specimen mammography and histopathological assessment of specimen margins. Postexcision mammography of the involved breast is used at some centers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of postexcision mammography in DCIS.Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients treated for DCIS at our institution from 1995 to 1998.Results: Sixty-seven patients had postexcision mammography performed. Residual microcalcifications were identified in 16 patients (24%). Further surgery was precluded by precise mammographic- pathological correlation by using sliced-specimen mammography in two patients. Twelve patients had repeat wide excision, and two patients underwent mastectomy. Residual DCIS was identified at re-excision in 9 of 14 patients (64%). The margin status of the initial resection was negative in three of nine patients (33%) and positive or unknown in six of nine patients (67%).Conclusions: Postexcision mammography is a valuable technique that complements specimen mammography and histopathological margin assessment in confirming that an adequate excision of DCIS has been performed. Postexcision mammography should be performed in all patients with DCIS associated with mammographic calcifications who are treated with breast-conserving therapy.Presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Surgical Oncology, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 16–19, 2000.     

Neoadjuvant Treatment for Resectable Cancer of the Esophagus and the Gastroesophageal Junction: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Background: There is no general agreement on the effect of neoadjuvant treatment for esophageal cancer on patient survival.Methods: A meta-analysis was performed to determine the effect of preoperative treatment on survival of patients with resectable esophageal cancer and the effect of preoperative treatment on patient mortality. A standard variance-based method was used to derive summary estimates of the absolute difference in both 2-year survival and treatment-related mortality.Results: Eleven randomized trials involving 2311 patients were analyzed. Preoperative chemotherapy improved 2-year survival compared with surgery alone: the absolute difference was 4.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], .3%–8.5%). Marginal evidence of heterogeneity was eliminated by restricting attention to the four most recent studies, which increased the estimate to 6.3% (95% CI, 1.8%–10.7%). For combined chemoradiotherapy, the increase was 6.4% (nonsignificant; 95% CI, –1.2%–14.0%). Treatment-related mortality increased by 1.7% with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (95% CI, –.9%—4.3%) and by 3.4% with chemoradiotherapy (95% CI, –.1%–7.3%), compared with surgery alone.Conclusions: There seems to be a modest survival advantage for patients who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery, as compared with surgery alone. There is an apparent increase in treatment-related mortality, mainly for patients who receive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.     

The Value of Mammography Within 1 Year of Conservative Surgery for Breast Cancer

Introduction

Guidelines for screening mammography have been established by numerous medical societies. Guidelines have not been established for follow-up mammography for patients who have been treated with breast-conserving surgery. Many radiologists recommend mammography of the treated breast 6?months after completion of treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine the value of interval mammography.

Methods

Patients were identified by searching the breast cancer database for the diagnoses of ductal carcinoma in situ, infiltrating ductal carcinoma and infiltrating lobular carcinoma. Postoperative mammogram dates and results were obtained. Patients with mammography within 8?months of surgery were included in the study.

Results

Ductal carcinoma in situ, infiltrating ductal carcinoma, and infiltrating lobular carcinoma were found in 1,000 patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery, and 789 patients had complete mammographic follow-up data available. Postoperative interval mammography was performed in 169 patients (21?%), including 23 patients who had preradiation mammography. Ninety percent of the interval mammograms were BI-RADS 1 to 3 and 10?% were BI-RADS 4 or 5. Two cancers were found on interval mammography (1.2?% of 169) and 4 of 620 (0.6?%) patients who did not have interval mammography were found to have malignancy within 1?year of surgery (1.2?% vs. 0.6?%, P?=?0.614). The use of interval mammography was not related to the mammographic findings at diagnosis. Interval mammography did not affect local and distant disease-free survival.

Conclusions

The likelihood of obtaining a significant finding on short interval follow-up mammography after conservative surgery for breast cancer is 1.2?%.     

Primary Tumor Response to Induction Chemotherapy as a Predictor of Histological Status of Axillary Nodes in Operable Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Routine use of axillary lymph node dissection is being questioned, especially in clinically N0 patients. The goal of this study was to determine whether primary tumor response to induction chemotherapy (IC) can predict the histological volume of residual axillary disease in patients who were candidates for breast conservation surgery after IC.Methods: Forty-seven patients with stage II or IIIA breast cancer who received breast conservation surgery were selected from a population of patients randomized to receive four cycles of IC. Largest clinical tumor size before and after IC was determined by physical examination, mammography, and breast ultrasound. Clinical nodal status was determined by physical examination and axillary ultrasound and compared with histological findings.Results: In patients with at least 50% reduction in primary tumor size after IC, 12 of 14 (86%) N0 patients and 11 of 17 (65%) N1 patients were histologically negative. In patients with a less than 50% reduction, 0 of 3 N0 patients and 2 of 13 (15%) N1 patients were histologically negative.Conclusions: There is significantly less axillary disease in responders than in nonresponders after IC. For N0 responders, axillary irradiation may be an acceptable alternative to axillary lymph node dissection, and could easily be incorporated into the postsurgical radiotherapy that is standard protocol for breast conservation therapy. The more aggressive disease in nonresponders is best treated by axillary lymph node dissection, pending further study.Presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Society of Surgical Oncology, Orlando, Florida, March 4–7, 1999.     

Breast Cancer Detection With 99m-Tc-Sestamibi Scintigraphy, Mammography, and Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology: Comparative Study in 64 Surgically Treated Patients

Background: In breast cancer, mammography (MG) fails to reveal malignancy in 10% to 15% of patients, and its sensitivity is limited by dense breast tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of 99m-Tc-sestamibi scintimammography (SMM) in conjunction with MG and fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in the detection of low-stage breast cancer.Methods: A total of 64 women (median age 58 years, range 32–86 years), 53 (82.8%) with palpable and 11 (17.2%) with nonpalpable breast mass, underwent SMM; 61 patients had MG and 62 underwent FNA cytology. At histological examination, breast cancer was found in 59 (92.2%) of the women (pTis = 2, pT1a = 2, pT1b = 13, pT1c = 20, pT2 = 22).Results: Of the 61 patients who had MG, 45 (73.8%) showed signs of cancer or abnormalities. Of the 62 patients who had FNA cytology, 55 (88.7%) showed malignancy. In 5 (8.1%) patients, atypical ductal hyperplasia or complex sclerosing lesions were found. MG, SMM, and FNA cytology were 80.4%, 78.0%, and 96.5% sensitive, respectively, and their positive predictive value was 97.8%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. In all patients, cancer was at least detected by one of these three techniques.Conclusions: In women with suspicious MG or abnormal FNA cytology that required further investigations, SMM may be helpful in surgical planning and should be considered in most patients before biopsy as an additional noninvasive procedure.Presented at the 52 Annual Cancer Symposium of The Society of Surgical Oncology, Orlando, Florida, March 4–7, 1999.     

Breast conservation surgery without pre-operative mammography--a definite feasibility

Mammography is mandatory before breast conservation. Its limited availability in developing countries has discouraged surgeons in rural areas from practicing breast conservation. We analyzed the database of breast surgeries at our institute to investigate whether breast conservation could be safely performed if clinically feasible without the use of mammography. If mammography had not been performed in the 735 patients undergoing surgery, breast conservation could have been erroneously performed in 38 (5.17%) patients; 13 had impalpable mammographic multicentricity and 25 had extensive microcalcifications. A detailed analysis showed that this error in decision would have been detected and rectified in each of the above patients before commencement of radiotherapy. We conclude that although mammography cannot be totally excluded from the treatment algorithm for palpable breast cancer, conservative surgery can be offered in clinically suitable cases even if pre-operative mammography is not available due to limited resources in the developing world.     

Productivity of needle localization to facilitate excision of nonpalpable, mammographically suspicious lesions

The use of needle localization to aid excisional biopsy of nonpalpable breast lesions is now common, and the literature suggests that 13% to 33% of such lesions are malignant. During the 4 years from 1984 to 1988, all women who underwent fine-needle localization in preparation for biopsy were studied to identify factors that might facilitate the selection of those more likely to harbour a cancer, thus sparing patients with benign disease operative intervention. In all, 124 biopsies were performed on nonpalpable lesions that were suspicious on mammography; 51 lesions were malignant and 73 benign. The average age of the patients was 56 years (55 years for those with benign lesions and 61 for those with malignant lesions). The family history, history of breast disease, symptoms and calcification seen on mammography were not significantly different between the two groups. Only 25% of the malignant lesions were noninvasive. In 10% of the patients who had invasive lesions there was lymph-node involvement. The rate of malignancy in this patient population (41%) was slightly better than that reported in the literature, and a larger proportion of patients had noninvasive disease. The authors conclude that none of the above-mentioned risk factors could be used in the preoperative selection of patients for open biopsy.     

Inguinal hernioplasty with the Prolene Hernia System

Most tension-free hernia repair techniques achieve 0.1%–0.4% recurrence rates in patients with primary hernias. Currently, the Lichtenstein technique is considered to be the criterion standard. The Prolene Hernia System (PHS) is a recently introduced hernia-repair device that combines three proven mechanisms of action. We retrospectively reviewed early and late complications in 250 patients who underwent inguinal hernioplasties—125 performed with the Lichtenstein technique and 125 performed with the PHS—from March 1998–October 2002. Patients who underwent Lichtenstein hernia repair had nine complications, and those who underwent PHS surgery had only two; none of the complications were serious. Older male patients who underwent Lichtenstein hernia repair were more likely to have complications (P=0.04). One patient in the Lichtenstein group had a recurrence of his hernia, but there were no recurrences in the PHS group. In conclusion, the results of inguinal hernioplasties performed with the PHS are comparable to those achieved with Lichtenstein hernia repair, the criterion standard technique.     

Analysis of the use of specimen mammography in breast conservation therapy

BACKGROUND: Obtaining tumor-negative margins when performing breast-conserving surgery is the standard of care to prevent local recurrence. We believe two-view specimen mammography is a useful method for intraoperative determination of adequacy of excision. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on patients who underwent wire-localized partial mastectomy for invasive cancer in our Breast Center from 2000 to 2001. Two-view specimen mammography reports were compared to the pathologic evaluation. RESULTS: Eighty-eight of 93 patients (95%) had complete primary excision. Sixteen patients had additional margins excised at the time of the initial operation based on specimen mammogram. Six patients would have had positive margins had additional excision at the primary surgery not been performed. CONCLUSIONS: Specimen mammography can help reduce reoperation rate by identifying patients who need additional margin excision at the time of initial surgery for breast conservation therapy. Using two-view specimen mammography, our reoperation rate was reduced from 12% to 5%.     

Stereotactic localization for fine needle aspiration biopsy in patients with augmentation prostheses.

Fifteen patients with augmentation mammoplasties had mammography demonstrating nonpalpable breast lesions. Of the 15 patients, three (20%) had adenocarcinoma confirmed by open biopsy and histopathology. All patients underwent stereotactic localization for fine needle aspiration biopsy. Four of the 15 patients had benign cysts (26%). None of the cysts could be diagnosed by ultrasound. The remaining eight patients had mammary dysplasia of a proliferative or nonproliferative type of fibroadenoma. These benign entities were followed with interval mammography demonstrating no change. The data suggest that fine needle aspiration biopsy is an effective technique to assess nonpalpable breast lesions in patients who have had augmentation mammoplasties.     

Preoperative axillary staging in breast cancer-saving time and resources

Abstract:  This study was performed to assess the feasibility and accuracy of ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy for axillary staging in invasive breast cancer. Data were collected prospectively from June 2005 to June 2006. In all, 197 patients with invasive breast cancer and clinically nonsuspicious axillary lymph nodes were included. Patients with suspicious nodes on ultrasound had fine needle aspiration biopsy. Those with fine needle aspiration biopsy positive for malignancy were planned for axillary nodes clearance otherwise they had sentinel node biopsy. Patients (41) had ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy. Three cases were excluded for being nonconclusive. Postoperative histology showed 18/38 cases (47.4%) axillary lymph nodes positive and 20/38 cases (52.6%) axillary nodes negative. Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy was positive in 8/38 cases (21.1%), negative in 30/38 cases (78.9%). The sensitivity of ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy was found to be 47.1%, specificity 100%, positive predictability 100%, negative predictability 70%, and overall accuracy 76.3%. Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy was found to be more accurate and sensitive when two or more nodes were involved, raising the sensitivity to 80% and negative predictability to 93.3%. Preoperative axillary staging with ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy in invasive breast cancer patients is very beneficial in diagnosing nodes positive cases. These cases can be planned for axillary lymph nodes clearance straightaway therefore saving patients from undergoing further surgery as well as time and resources.     

High resolution intra-operative two-dimensional specimen mammography and its impact on second operation for re-excision of positive margins at final pathology after breast conservation surgery

Background

In the United States, about 50% to 66% of women undergoing breast conservation surgery for cancer undergo subsequent mastectomy for positive margins on initial lumpectomy. This is despite the fact that screening mammography has resulted in a decrease in the size of newly diagnosed breast cancer to <2 cm.

Methods

A retrospective review of 128 patients who underwent breast conservation surgery for early breast cancer was performed using intraoperative 2-dimensional Faxitron high-resolution specimen mammography without specimen compression as the only margin assessment technique. Of these, 29 patients had histories of lumpectomy with positive margins.

Results

A total of 131 procedures were performed. Margins were histologically clear at initial breast conservation surgery in 84.3% of patients who underwent primary lumpectomy. Subsequent reexcision for positive margins was required in 14.7% of patients. Two-dimensional Faxitron mammographically guided intraoperative reexcision cleared the margins in 95.8% of patients (23 of 24) who would have otherwise required subsequent reexcision.

Conclusions

Intraoperative 2-dimensional Faxitron high-resolution specimen mammography can decrease rates of margin positivity and has the potential to diminish the number of subsequent undesired mastectomies for positive margins.     

Changes in the surgical treatment of breast cancer

Changes in radicality of breast cancer surgery between 1991 and 2000 are issued in this paper. While breast conserving surgery was performed in 26 cases (25%) out of 103 in 1991, in the year 2000 165 patients were operated of breast cancer and the breast was preserved in 143 cases (87%). These results are partly approved by the breast cancer screening performed by physical examination since 1981 and also by mammography since 1998. The five-year overall survival of patients who had been operated between 1991 and 1994 is 90%, the local recurrency rate is 6%. Considering these data breast preserving surgery is a reliable method.     

Incidence and Clinical Significance of Lymph Node Metastasis Detected by Cytokeratin Immunohistochemical Staining in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

Background This study explored the long-term prognosis of patients with ductal carcinoma-in-situ (DCIS) and lymph node metastasis detected by cytokeratin immunohistochemical stains (CK-IHC).Methods Using the Columbia University breast cancer database, we identified all DCIS patients who had eight or more axillary nodes dissected and free of metastasis. Five-micrometer sections from all paraffin blocks containing lymph node tissue were stained with an anticytokeratin antibody cocktail (AE1/AE3 and KL1). The results of the CK-IHC and updated database were anonymized and merged. Survival of CK-IHC–positive and –negative patients was compared by using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests.Results CK-IHC was performed on 301 DCIS patients, who had an average of 16.7 axillary nodes dissected. Eighteen (6%) of 301 patients tested positive by CK-IHC. Seventy patients with bilateral breast cancer and 2 patients without any follow-up data were excluded, for a final study population of 229 patients. Among the 216 patients with negative CK-IHC, 18 patients died, compared with 1 of 13 patients with positive CK-IHC. The median follow-up for the study group was 127 months. Kaplan-Meier overall and breast cancer–specific survival estimates were similar for CK-IHC–positive and –negative patients (P = .81 and P = .73, respectively).Conclusions CK-IHC increases the incidence of positive nodes by 6% in DCIS patients. A positive node by CK-IHC does not seem to affect survival in these patients. These results raise concerns regarding the clinical significance of positive nodes by CK-IHC in DCIS patients.     

Beyond the Clinical Trials: How Often Is Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection Performed for Breast Cancer?

Background Sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) has been shown to be a reasonable treatment option for early-stage breast cancer. Until recently, SLND was limited to clinical trials. Because this technique is now offered outside of trials, its prevalence is unknown.Methods All patients with stage I or II breast cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results national cancer registry (1998–2000) were evaluated. Data were collected for demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical resection, lymph node evaluation (SLND or complete axillary dissection), registry site, and year of diagnosis. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify predictors for receiving SLND.Results A total of 54,772 patients diagnosed with breast cancer had undergone surgical lymph node evaluation; 27.2% patients with stage I disease underwent SLND, as compared with 22.7% for stage II. Older patients and minority groups were less likely to receive SLND. Receipt of SLND varied by registry site (7.9%–32.7%). Multivariate regression showed that older patients had lower odds of receiving SLND (60–69 years: odds ratio, .73; P < .0001) as compared with younger patients. Additionally, blacks, Hispanics, and Asians had lower odds of receiving SLND (odds ratio of .64, .58, and .80, respectively; P < .0001). SLND use increased over the 3 years in the study (P < .0001).Conclusions This population-based analysis showed relatively infrequent use of SLND for early-stage breast cancer. These results suggest a slow transition of this procedure from clinical trials into the community. Future work should be targeted at improving the rate at which patients receive this procedure, particularly for elderly and minority groups and low-use regions.     

Effectiveness of Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) for Breast Cancer in Korea: A Comparative Study

Abstract: Despite the fact that mammography has been the golden standard in breast cancer detection for several decades, its sensitivity decreases for women with dense breast tissue, which happens to be common in Korea. As an alternative, breast ultrasonography can be effective diagnostic modalities that complement the defect of mammography. Recently, breast‐specific gamma imaging (BSGI) has been introduced as a new diagnostic modality for breast cancer. This study was designed to analyze the effectiveness of BSGI in particular. In a retrospective study, 471 patients underwent BSGI, breast ultrasonography, and mammography simultaneously during the period between February 2009 and March 2010. The indications of BSGI were as follows: (a) patient who was diagnosed with malignancy prior to surgery, (b) patient who is under follow up after cancer surgery, (c) patient with lesions which cannot be evaluated by breast ultrasonography or mammography, (d) patient with multiple benign lesions, and (e) patient with suspicious lesion who refuses biopsy. Among these patients, 121 patients underwent biopsy, whereas others were followed up with imaging studies. We compared the BSGI results with those of mammography, breast ultrasonography, and pathology. The mean age of the patients was 49.63 ± 10.43 years. There were 107 patients with 110 malignant lesions and 364 patients with benign lesions. Total 474 lesions were evaluated. The sensitivities of BSGI, mammography, and breast ultrasonography were 94.45%, 93.64%, and 98.18%, respectively, whereas the specificities of BSGI, mammography, and breast ultrasonography were 90.93%, 90.66%, and 87.09%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of BSGI for axillary lymph node (LN) status were 44.7 4% and 87.88%, respectively. BSGI is a good complementary imaging modality with high sensitivity and high specificity for breast cancer detection. However, it has low efficacy for the evaluation for axillary LN status.     

Variation in the Use of Percutaneous Biopsy for Diagnosis of Breast Abnormalities in Ontario

Background Preoperative diagnosis of breast abnormalities is currently the standard of care. A population-based study to determine the use of percutaneous needle biopsy for breast diagnosis in Ontario was performed. Methods A total of 17,068 women undergoing breast tissue sampling (percutaneous needle biopsy or surgical excision) for diagnosis between April 1, 2002, and December 31, 2002, and without a previous cancer diagnosis were identified. Univariate and multivariate analyses examined the association of age, residence in a particular local health integration network (LHIN), income quintile, urban or rural residence, primary care provider, any prior mammogram, and prior regular screening mammography, as well as whether the biopsy was initiated by a screening mammogram with different methods of tissue diagnosis. Results A total of 10,459 women (61%) underwent percutaneous biopsy for diagnosis. A total of 10,131 women underwent surgery, of whom 6637 received a benign diagnosis and 3494 had cancer, for a benign-to-malignant ratio of 1.9:1. Women with cancer were slightly more likely to undergo percutaneous biopsy than women without (64.7% vs. 60.3%). There was variation among LHINs in the use of percutaneous biopsy (range, 24%–72%). Women with the highest incomes, urban residence, a primary care provider, or history of any prior mammography were more likely to receive percutaneous biopsy. On multivariate analysis, age 50 to 69 years, LHIN, urban residence, primary care provider, and screen-initiated evaluation were associated with percutaneous biopsy. Conclusions Variation in the use of percutaneous biopsy by factors unrelated to indications for biopsy indicate that strategies to identify and overcome barriers to its use are needed.     

MAMMOGRAPHICALLY NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER AT THE STRATHFIELD BREAST CENTRE

Background: The current diagnostic modalities used to detect breast cancer are mammography, together with clinical examination, ultrasound and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). The accuracy rates for each modality varies and a combination of the modalities is recommended to detect cancer early. Some authors have suggested that mammography should be used primarily as a screening tool because of the false negative mammography results that have been reported in the past 10 years. The records of patients at the Strathfield Breast Centre were reviewed to determine the accuracy of the practice and to compare it with the accuracy of other modalities. Methods: The records of 371 breast cancer patients treated at the Strathfield Breast Centre in the 6 years from 1989 to 1994 were reviewed to determine the accuracy of mammography, ultrasound, clinical examination and fine needle aspiration biopsy. Of the 371 women with histopathologically diagnosed breast cancer, 349 had mammography. Results: The accuracy rate of mammography in the present study was 91% with a false negative rate of 9%. It was found that there was no significant delay in the treatment of breast cancer in mammogram-negative patients. Conclusions: Mammographically negative breast cancer was found to be more common in younger women, to be similar in size to mammogram-positive cancer, to occur in all histological types and grades and was usually invasive rather than noninvasive. The rate of lymph node involvement was similar to the mammogram-positive group.     

Recurrence of inguinal hernias repaired in a large hernia surgical specialty hospital and general hospitals in Ontario,Canada

BackgroundThe effect of hospital specialization on the risk of hernia recurrence after inguinal hernia repair is not well described.MethodsWe studied Ontario residents who had primary elective inguinal hernia repair at an Ontario hospital between 1993 and 2007 using population-based, administrative health data. We compared patients from a large hernia specialty hospital (Shouldice Hospital) with those from general hospitals to determine the risk of recurrence.ResultsWe studied 235 192 patients, 27.7% of whom had surgery at Shouldice hospital. The age-standardized proportion of patients who had a recurrence ranged from 5.21% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.94%–5.49%) among patients who had surgery at the lowest volume general hospitals to 4.79% (95% CI 4.54%–5.04%) who had surgery at the highest volume general hospitals. In contrast, patients who had surgery at the Shouldice Hospital had an age-standardized recurrence risk of 1.15% (95% CI 1.05%–1.25%). Compared with patients who had surgery at the lowest volume hospitals, hernia recurrence among those treated at the Shouldice Hospital was significantly lower after adjustment for the effects of age, sex, comorbidity and income level (adjusted hazard ratio 0.21, 95% CI 0.19–0.23, p < 0.001).ConclusionInguinal hernia repair at Shouldice Hospital was associated with a significantly lower risk of subsequent surgery for recurrence than repair at a general hospital. While specialty hospitals may have better outcomes for treatment of common surgical conditions than general hospitals, these benefits must be weighed against potential negative impacts on clinical care and the financial sustainability of general hospitals.     

Feasibility of Breast Preservation in the Treatment of Occult Primary Carcinoma Presenting With Axillary Metastases

Background: The objective of the study was to compare the treatment outcomes in patients with occult primary carcinoma with axillary lymph node metastasis who were treated with mastectomy or with intent to preserve the breast.Methods: From 1951 to 1998, 479 female patients were registered with axillary lymph node metastasis from an unknown primary. After clinical workup, including mammography, 45 patients retained this diagnosis and received treatment for T0 N1–2 M0 carcinoma of the breast. Clinical and pathological data were collected retrospectively, and survival was calculated from the date of initial diagnosis using the Kaplan-Meier method. Median follow-up time was 7 years.Results: Median age was 54 years (range, 32–79). Clinical nodal status was N1 in 71% and N2 in 29% of the patients. Surgical treatment was mastectomy in 29% and an intent to preserve the breast in 71% of the patients. Locoregional radiotherapy was used in 71% and systemic chemoendocrine therapy was used in 73% of the patients. Of the 13 mastectomy patients, only one had a primary tumor discovered in the specimen. Two patients (4%) were ultimately diagnosed with lung cancer and neuroendocrine tumor. No significant difference was detected between mastectomy and breast preservation in locoregional recurrence (15% versus 13%), distant metastases (31% versus 22%), or 5-year survival (75% vs. 79%). Regardless of surgical therapy, the most important determinant of survival was the number of positive nodes. Five-year overall survival was 87% with 1–3 positive nodes compared with 42% with 4 positive nodes (P < .0001).Conclusions: Occult primary carcinoma with axillary metastases can be treated with preservation of the breast without a negative impact on local control or survival.