The significance of lymph node involvement in patients with medullary carcinoma of the breast.

Sixty-two patients with medullary carcinoma of the breast were studied. Mean survival time was 105 months. When identical stages are compared, the five and ten year survival rates for patients with medullary carcinoma of the breast parallel those for patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Age, duration of symptoms, site of the primary lesion, size of the primary lesion, menopausal status and postoperative radiotherapy and the number of positive axillary lymph nodes were all evaluated for independent effects upon survival. The number of involved axillary nodes appeared to be the only worthwhile prognostic indicator. We believe that patients with medullary carcinoma of the breast and positive axillary lymph nodes should receive adjuvant chemotherapy.