Invasive papillary carcinoma of the breast is an uncommon cancer and its incidence in different series ranges between 0.3% and 3% of all breast cancers. It has been reported that in western countries papillary carcinoma generally presents in the seventh decade and is more frequently found in postmenopausal, non-white women. Generally the gross appearance of papillary carcinoma is well circumscribed or may appear to be encapsulated. The size of invasive papillary carcinoma is usually small but varies. Clinically, this tumor has lower freguency rate of axillary nodal involvement and better 5-year or 10-year survival rate than the other common types of breast cancer. To determine clinical and histopathologic characteristics of this tumor, the medical records of 14 women with invasive papillary carcinoma treated at KCCH between 1983 and 1995 were reviewed retrospectively. The results were as follows: ¨c The incidence of invasive papillary carcinama was 0.48% (14/2935) of all breast cancers. ¨e The mean age at the diagnosis was 45.8 years. ¨e The most common clinical manifestatian was a palpable mass. ¨e The mean size of tumor was 4.2 cm in diameter. ¨e The rate of ER positivity was 50%(4/8). ¨i The rate of axillary nodal involvement was 30.8%(4/13). ¨i There was one case of systemic recurrence at 16 months after modified radical mastectomy and the patient expired at 29 months after operation. There was one case of ipsilateral cervical lymph node metsstasis at 21 months after modified radical mastectomy and the patient is still alive. In conclusion, the incidence and prognosis of invasive papillary carcinoma in this study was similar to western series, but the peak age group with invasive papillary carcinoma was younger than in western countries. To determine the clinical, histopathologic chracteristics of Korean papillary carcinoma of the breast, multicenter data should be collected.
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