Clinicopathologic characteristics and clinical outcomes of pure type and mixed type of tubular carcinoma of the breast: a single-institution cohort study

Figures & data

Table 1 Baseline clinicopathologic characteristics of the three groups

Variables	PTC (N=31)	TC-IC (N=25)	TC-CIS (N=12)	P-value
Gender
Female	31 (100%)	12 (100%)	25 (100%)
Age (median, range)	46 (28–67)	44.5 (37–60)	47 (27–73)	0.658
Laterality
Left	12 (38.7%)	8 (66.7%)	9 (36.0%)	0.196
Right	19 (61.3%)	4 (33.3%)	16 (64.0%)
Tumor location (quadrant)
Upper outer quadrant	13 (41.9%)	8 (66.7%)	11 (44.0%)	0.780
Lower outer quadrant	3 (9.7%)	0 (0%)	3 (12.0%)
Upper inner quadrant	8 (25.8%)	1 (8.3%)	5 (20.0%)
Lower inner quadrant	1 (3.2%)	2 (16.7%)	2 (8.0%)
Central	4 (12.9%)	1 (8.3%)	2 (8.0%)
Unknown	2 (6.5%)	0 (0%)	2 (8.0%)
Pretreatment CEA level
Normal	23 (74.2%)	10 (83.3%)	19 (76.0%)
Elevated	1 (3.2%)	0 (0%)	2 (8.0%)	0.889
Unknown	7 (22.6%)	2 (16.7%)	4 (16.0%)
Tumor size
≤2 cm	22 (71.0%)	11 (91.7%)	10 (40.0%)
>2 cm, ≤5 cm	2 (6.5%)	1 (8.3%)	10 (40.0%)	0.014
With skin involvement	3 (9.7%)	0 (0%)	2 (8.0%)
Unknown	4 (12.9%)	0 (0%)	3 (12.0%)
T stage
T1	22 (71.0%)	11 (91.7%)	10 (40.0%)
T2	2 (6.5%)	1 (8.3%)	10 (40.0%)
T3	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0.014
T4	3 (9.7%)	0 (0%)	2 (8.0%)
Unknown	4 (12.9%)	0 (0%)	3 (12.0%)
N stage
N0	28 (90.3%)	12 (100.0%)	15 (60.0%)
N1	1 (3.2%)	0 (0%)	7 (28.0%)	0.019
N2	1 (3.2%)	0 (0%)	2 (8.0%)
N3	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4.0%)
Unknown	1 (3.2%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
M stage
M0	31 (100.0%)	12 (100.0%)	24 (96.0%)	0.544
M1	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4.0%)
ER status
Positive	27 (87.1%)	12 (100.0%)	24 (96.0%)
Negative	3 (9.7%)	0 (0%)	1 (4.0%)	0.655
Unknown	1 (3.2%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
PR status
Positive	26 (83.9%)	12 (100.0%)	23 (92.0%)
Negative	4 (12.9%)	0 (0%)	1 (4.0%)	0.711
Unknown	1 (3.2%)	0 (0%)	1 (4.0%)
HER2 status
Positive	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (8.0%)
Negative	25 (80.6%)	10 (83.3%)	22 (88.0%)	0.180
Unknown	6 (19.4%)	2 (16.7%)	1 (4.0%)

Note: TNM stage was according to the 7th edition of the American Joint Commission on Cancer staging system.

Abbreviations: CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen; ER, estrogen receptor; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; PR, progesterone receptor; PTC, pure tubular carcinoma; TC-CIS, tubular carcinoma and carcinoma in situ; TC-IC, tubular carcinoma and invasive carcinoma.

Table 2 Treatment characteristics of the three groups

Treatments	PTC (N=31)	TC-CIS (N=12)	TC-IC (N=25)	P-value
Surgery of the breast
Mastectomy	19 (61.3%)	8 (66.7%)	21 (84%)
Breast-conserving surgery	11 (35.5%)	4 (33.3%)	4 (16%)	0.302
Unknown	1 (3.2%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
Surgery of the axillary lymph nodes
ALND	18 (58.1%)	8 (66.7%)	24 (96.0%)
SLNB	12 (38.7%)	4 (33.3%)	1 (4.0%)	0.005
Unknown	1 (3.2%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
Chemotherapy
Yes	12 (38.7%)	7 (58.3%)	21 (84.0%)
No	16 (51.6%)	5 (41.7%)	4 (16.0%)	0.007
Unknown	3 (9.7%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
Radiotherapy
Yes	9 (29.0%)	4 (33.3%)	10 (40.0%)
No	17 (54.8%)	8 (66.7%)	15 (60.0%)	0.227
Unknown	5 (16.1%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
Endocrine therapy
Yes	22 (71.0%)	12 (100.0%)	20 (80.0%)
No	2 (6.5%)	0 (0%)	2 (8.0%)	0.348
Unknown	7 (22.6%)	0 (0%)	3 (12.0%)

Abbreviations: ALND, lymph node dissection; PTC, pure tubular carcinoma; SLNB, sentinel lymph node biopsy; TC-CIS, tubular carcinoma and carcinoma in situ; TC-IC, tubular carcinoma and invasive carcinoma.

Figure 1 BCSS (A) and DMFS (B) of the PTC group (N=31), the TC-CIS group (N=12), and the TC-IC group (N=25).

Abbreviations: BCSS, breast cancer-specific survival; DMFS, distant metastasis-free survival; PTC, pure tubular carcinoma; TC-CIS, tubular carcinoma and carcinoma in situ; TC-IC, tubular carcinoma and other invasive carcinomas.