Preoperative Assessment and Staging of Breast Cancer: Preliminary Communication

Abstract

A prospective study has been carried out in 172 women to determine the sensitivity of methods to detect occult metastatic disease in the skeleton and liver. With the exception of bone scintiscans, the results of these tests bore little relationship to recurrence rates. On the other hand, knowledge of the histopathology of the lower axillary (pectoral) lymph nodes is of value in this respect.A follow-up study is also reported which confirms the importance of accurate measurements of the primary tumour clinical node status and oestrogen receptor contact of the tumour in defining prognostic groups. Elastosis (estimated in 165 tumours) did not prove to be a useful prognostic index.

The association of cytosol oestrogen and progesterone receptors with histological features of breast cancer and early recurrence of disease

“…The data from the present study, like those of Hilf et al (1980) Forrest et al (1980) showed that by merely moving the "cut-off point" separating receptor-rich (+ve) from receptor-poor (low +ve and -ve) tumours, the prognostic value for REC could be eliminated. However, there is good qualitative agreement between centres using the DCC technique, including our own (King et al, 1978), and the present study has employed similar criteria for receptor positivity to previous reports.…”

“…They are also more likely to respond to endocrine therapy (Masters et al, 1979). Well-differentiated (grade I) tumours have similar properties (McGuire et al, 1977 clearly associated with a lack of RE, Cooke et al, 1979Cooke et al, , 1980Allegra et al, 1979;Hahnel et al, 1979;Forrest et al, 1980;Westerberg et al, 1980). Patients who have REc are reported to live longer than those who lack it (Bishop et al, 1979;Croton et al, 1981).…”

“…Most investigators who have studied the relationship between REC and freedom from recurrence and survival, have suggested that an earlier recurrence and shorter survival may be expected in those patients who lack REC in their primary tumour, although data vary as to which patients obtain the greatest benefit (Knight et al, 1977;Bishop et al, 1979;Cooke et al, 1979;Allegra et al, 1979;Forrest et al, 1980;Westerberg et al, 1980;Croton et al, of this receptor as a prognostic factor in breast cancer remains uncertain. The objectives of this single centre study were twofold: to test the hypothesis that the presence or absence of RE, and RP, is a reflection of certain morphological features of the tumour, some of which are of prognostic significance in their own right and to investigate the role of REc and RPc as indicators of early recurrence.…”

Prognostic value of continuous variables in breast cancer and head and neck cancer. Dependence on the cut-off level

“…Vollenweider-Zerargui et al (1986) varied systematically the limits of positivity and negativity to obtain the best predictive cut-off. Forrest et al (1980) have also observed that moving the cut-off value of ER can affect its prognostic effect. The great variability of institutions in fixing the threshold of positivity has been recently reviewed (Namer, 1988).…”

The effect of oestrogen and progesterone receptors on recurrence and survival in patients with carcinoma of the breast

“…Several reports have suggested that early recurrence of breast cancer is clearly associated with a lack of either oestrogen receptors (REc) or progesterone receptors (RPc) in the primary tumour (Allegra et al, 1979;Cooke et al, 1979. Forrest et al, 1980Westerberg et al, 1980;Paterson et al, 1982;Pichon et al, 1980;Mason et al, 1983;Clark et al, 1983).…”