Prognostic significance of selected immunohistochemical parameters in patients with invasive breast carcinoma concomitant with ductal carcinoma in situ.

The purpose of the present study was to carry out multivariate analysis of the effect of the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors, p53, proliferative antigen (Ki67) and c-erbB-2 on 5-year survival in patients with invasive breast carcinoma concomitant with ductal carcinoma in situ. Material for study consisted of tissue specimens obtained from 48 patients undergoing modified Patey's mastectomy between 1991 and 1998. Univariate analysis revealed that the variables significantly affecting survival were tumour size on gross examination and the level of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the cells of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast (for the level of significance p = 0.05). The Cox regression model revealed that the only independent variable having a significant effect on survival was the level of estrogen receptors in invasive cancer cells.