Comparison between palpable and nonpalpable breast cancers: mammographic and pathological findings

To analyze the differences in mammographic and pathologic findings between palpable and non-palpable breast carcinoma. Among 362 patients with surgically proven breast carcinoma, 317, whose chief complaint during preoperative evaluation was a palpable mass, comprised group 1, and 45 with no masses comprised group 2. We compared mammographic and pathologic findings between the two groups. As regards the pattern of mammographic presentation, mass alone accounted for 51.4% of group 1 and 33.3% of group 2, while calcification alone was seen in 7.6% of group 1 and 24.4% of group 2 (p<0.05). In group 1, 48.6% of masses were of irregular shape, and in group 2, 46.2% were round. According to ACRBIRADS, 47.6% of group 1 was classified as category 5, and 51.1% of group 2 as category 4 (p<0.05). On the other hand, the margin of the mass showed no statistical difference. Among the 362 patients, the mean age of group 1 was 48.1 (range, 28-79) years, while that of group 2 was 51.7 (range 30-73) years (p<0.05). Histologically, infiltrative ductal carcinoma was seen in 84.9% of group 1, and DCIS in 8.5%, while for group 2 the respective figures were 62.2% and 28.9% (p<0.05). For group 1, mean lesional size was 3.01cm, with 47.9% lymph node metastasis in the axilla, while for group 2 the corresponding figures were 1.93cm (p<0.05) and 28.2% (p<0.05). Differences were statistically significant. Under the TMN system, 30% of group 1 were at stage 2, while 35.6% of group 2 were at stage 1(p<0.05). Palpable and non-palpable cancers showed statistically significant differences in mammographic findings such as mass shape and category, but not in the margin of the mass. The were also statistically significant differences with regard to age, histology, lesion size, axillary lymph node metastasis, and staging