Experience with lobular carcinoma of the breast. Emphasis on recent aspects of management.

A total of 105 patients with lobular carcinoma of the breast were seen at two hospitals between 1966 and 1978. Mammography was found to be of limited value in the preoperative assessment of these patients. As reported by others, there was a high incidence of bilateral lobular neoplasia. In the patients with lobular carcinoma in situ for whom follow-up data were available, all were alive and well. In contrast to this, infiltrating lobular carcinoma was found to be as malignant a lesion as any other infiltrating breast cancer regardless of the operative procedure performed. These latter tumors were found to bind substantial levels of estrogen receptor proteins. From the information gained, it is suggested that early hormonal manipulation and/or chemotherapy may be advantageous in the patient with recurrent infiltrating lobular carcinoma in particular.