A variety of factors have found to be associated with favorable or unfavorable outcomes in patients with breast carcinoma. Some are independent predictors, while others reflect the level of differentiation of the tumor.
|
Parameter |
Favorable |
Unfavorable |
|
patient's age |
> 35 and < 50 years of age |
> 50, especially if elderly; <= 35 years of age |
|
pregnancy or lactation |
|
overall poorer prognosis |
|
invasiveness |
in situ |
invasive |
|
size of tumor |
invasive carcinoma <= 1 cm |
> 1 cm; 1-2 cm better than >= 2 cm |
|
microscopic grade |
well-differentiated (Grade I) |
poorly differentiated (Grade III) |
|
type of margin |
"pushing" |
"infiltrating" |
|
metastasis to axillary lymph nodes |
absent |
present (having 1-3 nodes positive better than if >= 4) |
|
metastasis to internal mammillary lymph nodes |
absent |
present |
|
estrogen receptor |
>= 10 fmol/mg protein |
< 10 fmol/mg protein |
|
progesterone receptor |
>= 10 fmol/mg protein (poor if ER negative) |
< 10 fmol/mg protein |
|
pS2 protein |
high (> 11 ng/mg) |
low (< 11 ng/mg) |
|
S phase fraction |
low |
high |
|
ploidy |
diploid |
aneuploid |
|
mitotic index |
low |
high |
|
thymidine labeling index |
low |
high |
|
c-erbB-2 (neu/HER-2) oncogene |
absent |
present |
|
proliferating cell markers (Ki-67, PCNA/cyclin, others) |
low |
high |
|
cytoarchitectural patterns |
tubular carcinoma (pure), medullary carcinoma (true), mucinous carcinoma (pure), papillary carcinoma (pure), adenoid cystic carcinoma (pure), secretory carcinoma (pure) |
signet ring carcinoma, inflammatory carcinoma |
Factors which may not have independent prognostic value or which may not yet be suited for general use:
(1) Cathepsin D
(2) CEA staining pattern
(3) p53 in node negative patients
(4) elastosis
(5) epidermal growth factor receptor
(6) microvessel density
Specialty: Hematology Oncology, Surgery, general, Obstetrics & Gynecology
ICD-10: ,
