Survival of patients with carcinoma of breast without lymph node metastases in relation to the tumor types.

Carcinoma of breast radical mastectomy specimens were examined. The tumors were classified in accordance with their morphologic appearance. The tumors were also graded on the basis of their cytological makeup and assigned a cytologic malignancy score (CMS). While the classification of tumors was based on the overall pattern of the tumor, the CMS was arrived at by examining the least differentiated portion of the tumor. The following conclusions were suggested by the study: Patients with tumors with high CMS have a poor prognosis, even in the absence of axillary lymph node metastases. It appears reasonable to suggest that patients without overt metastases, but with high CMS, should be considered for treatment with all therapeutic measures available. Such an aggressive approach to patients with low CMS does not appear to be justified.