Prognostic value of prominent DCIS component in the breast-conserving therapy of stage I and II invasive ductal breast cancer

The aim of this study was to determine the presence and histological grade of prominent ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and the relationship between the histological grade of DCIS and the grade of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast to local recurrence and survival. We have analysed 175 patients with stage I and II invasive ductal breast carcinoma who underwent breast-conserving therapy in the period 1987–1994. Patients were divided into those with carcinomas showing prominent DCIS (74 patients), and those with tumours without a DCIS component (101 patients). Ten patients developed recurrences and were treated by hormonal and/or chemotherapy. Local recurrence was observed in 2 (2%) patients without, and in 8 (10.8%) patients with prominent DCIS (χ2=12.954, P<0.005). There was a highly significant correlation between DCIS type and the histological grade of the infiltrating carcinoma (χ2=73.77, P<0.001). Our results suggest that the patients with poorly differentiated DCIS are significantly more likely to develop recurrence than patients with intermediately or well-differentiated DCIS.