Axillary dissection for tubular carcinoma of the breast

Tubular carcinoma of the breast is a well-differentiated form of invasive breast cancer that has less metastatic potential than other forms. We reviewed our experience with both pure and mixed tubular carcinoma to determine the appropriateness of axillary dissection in the treatment of tubular carcinoma of the breast. Thirty patients with a diagnosis of tubular carcinoma or mixed tubular carcinoma of the breast were studied, 22 of whom had axillary node dissections. We assessed the presence of histologically proven axillary node metastases in patients treated with elective axillary dissection. Of the patients with pure tubular carcinomas, 0/14 had axillary lymph node metastases and only 1/8 (13%) patients with mixed tubular carcinomas had axillary metastases. The single patient with axillary node metastases had a lesion over 1.2 cm in diameter. Axillary dissection would therefore not appear to be indicated for pure tubular carcinomas less than 1 cm in diameter.