CYTOPROGNOSTIC STUDY OF PREOPERATIVE ASPIRATION MATERIAL IN BREAST CANCER

This paper describes the morphometric analysis of preoperative aspiration materials from breast cancers to define cytological predictors of recurrence and malignancy grade. Subjects were 65 patients with primary invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, of which 36 were cancer free at least for 5 years from radical operation (cancer free group) and 29 had distant recurrences in 5 years (recurrence group). Morphological factor of nuclei was calculated for each group. Nuclear area itself had no relation with prognosis. Coefficiency variant of nuclear area (NA·CV) was calculated. NA·CV of recurrence group was higher than that of cancer free group, as shown in these figures, 39.8±7.9% and 25.5±4.6% respectively. NA·CV was most variable prognostic indicator among the several prognostic factors, for example tumor size (T'), histological type, and lymph nodal status. By using morphometry and calculating NA·CV, cytological nuclear pleomorphism was evaluated objectively. The prognosis and malignancy grade of the breast cancer can be probably presumed at preoperative period.