Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011:2011:634021.
doi: 10.4061/2011/634021. Epub 2011 May 5.

Subgross morphology, the sick lobe hypothesis, and the success of breast conservation

Tibor Tot  1
Affiliations

Subgross morphology, the sick lobe hypothesis, and the success of breast conservation

Tibor Tot. Int J Breast Cancer. 2011.

Abstract

Breast carcinoma has a complex subgross morphology in the majority of cases. The malignant transformation usually involves a single breast lobe and may demonstrate peripheral, segmental, or lobar growth patterns in the in situ phase. During the invasive phase, the tumor may grow beyond the borders of the affected lobe. The dimensions of the involved lobe and the pattern of its involvement determine the extent of the disease in the early phase, with the size, type, and position of the invasive foci being additional determinants in more advanced cases. Breast carcinomas of limited extent (occupying a tissue area <40 mm) are proper candidates for breast-conserving surgery. In other cases, careful individual preoperative assessment of disease extent is necessary in making decisions about the most appropriate surgical approach, taking into account the position of the lesion(s) within the breast, the dimensions of the breast, and patient preference.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The three basic growth patterns of in situ carcinoma within the sick breast lobe. Upper left: the peripheral pattern; upper right: the segmental pattern; lower image: the lobar pattern. The structures involved by in situ carcinoma, corresponding to the extent of the disease, are marked in the series of images on the right-hand side.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The three basic growth patterns of invasive breast carcinoma. Upper left: unifocal; upper central: multifocal; upper right: diffuse growth pattern. The extent of the disease is marked in the lower series of images.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Percentages of carcinomas with unifocal, multifocal, and diffuse subgross patterns regarding the in situ component of the tumor, the invasive component, or both combined. Falun 2008–2010.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Invasive breast carcinoma with an in situ component involving a lactiferous duct leading to the invasive area.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Fisher B, Anderson S, Bryant J, et al. Twenty-year follow-up of a randomized trial comparing total mastectomy, lumpectomy, and lumpectomy plus irradiation for the treatment of invasive breast cancer. New England Journal of Medicine. 2002;347(16):1233–1241. - PubMed
    1. Veronesi U, Cascinelli N, Mariani L, et al. Twenty-year follow-up of a randomized study comparing breast-conserving surgery with radical mastectomy for early breast cancer. New England Journal of Medicine. 2002;347(16):1227–1232. - PubMed
    1. Holland R, Veling SHJ, Mravunac M, Hendriks JHCL. Histologic multifocality of Tis, T1-2 breast carcinomas: implications for clinical trials of breast-conserving surgery. Cancer. 1985;56(5):979–990. - PubMed
    1. Egan RL. Multicentric breast carcinomas: clinical-radiographic-pathologic whole organ studies and 10-year survival. Cancer. 1982;49(6):1123–1130. - PubMed
    1. Faverly DRG, Hendriks JHCL, Holland R. Breast carcinomas of limited extent: frequency, radiologic-pathologic characteristics, and surgical margin requirements. Cancer. 2001;91(4):647–659. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources