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Clinicopathologic and Ultrasound Variables Associated With a Heavy Axillary Nodal Tumor Burden in Invasive Breast Carcinoma
Author(s) -
Li Jiawei,
Tong Yuyang,
Jiang Yizhou,
Shui Xujuan,
Shi Zhaoting,
Chang Cai
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.1002/jum.14863
Subject(s) - medicine , axilla , lymphovascular invasion , breast cancer , breast carcinoma , radiology , odds ratio , carcinoma , breast imaging , univariate analysis , oncology , metastasis , pathology , cancer , multivariate analysis , mammography
Objectives To identify clinicopathologic and ultrasound (US) variables that were associated with a heavy nodal tumor burden, which was defined as 3 or more lymph nodes involved with metastasis to the axilla after invasive breast carcinoma. Methods With ethical approval, 621 patients with a pathologic diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed for clinical, pathologic, and US data. Pathologic findings were ascertained by the final paraffin pathologic analysis. Ultrasound characteristics were evaluated on the basis of the American College of Radiology's Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI‐RADS). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the clinicopathologic and US variables that were associated with a heavy nodal tumor burden at the axilla. Results There were 107 cases (17.2%) of invasive breast carcinoma with a heavy tumor burden at the axilla. The independent clinicopathologic variables for a heavy tumor burden at the axilla included a tumor size of 2 to 5 cm (odds ratio [OR], 1.86; P = .036), the presence of lymphovascular invasion (OR, 23.52; P < .001), the presence of papillary invasion (OR, 2.93; P = .043), and a non–triple‐negative subtype (OR, 2.34; P = .04). The independent US features of breast tumors that were associated with a heavy tumor burden at the axilla included BI‐RADS category 5 (OR, 5.50; P = .024) and a posterior acoustic shadow (OR, 1.94; P = .024). Conclusions A large tumor size, lymphovascular invasion, papillary invasion, and a non–triple‐negative subtype on the pathologic analysis as well as BI‐RADS category 5 and a posterior acoustic shadow on a US assessment were associated with a heavy nodal tumor burden at the axilla. These US characteristics of the primary breast carcinoma might provide additional information to axillary US for the prediction of axillary nodal tumor loads.