Histological scoring of immune and stromal features in breast and axillary lymph nodes is prognostic for distant metastasis in lymph node-positive breast cancers.

The prognostic importance of lymph node (LN) status and tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), is well established, particularly TILs in triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs). So far, few studies have interrogated changes in involved and uninvolved LNs and evaluated if their morphological patterns add valuable information for the prediction of disease progression in breast cancer. In a cohort of 309 patients enriched for TNBCs (170/309), we histologically characterised immune and stromal features in primary tumours and associated involved and uninvolved axillary LNs on routine haematoxylin and eosin stained sections.

Comparison of basal-like triple-negative breast cancer defined by morphology, immunohistochemistry and transcriptional profiles.

Basal-like invasive breast cancer is an important clinical group because of its association with a triple-negative phenotype defined by the lack of expression of estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptors 2, relative lack of therapeutic options and poor prognosis. However, depending on the method used to define these lesions, morphological assessment, immunohistochemical markers or gene expression, a different set of tumors is captured. The aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of using different methodological approaches to define basal-like lesions among triple-negative breast carcinomas with regard to their clinicopathological features and patient outcome.

Epitheliosis, infiltrating epitheliosis, and radial scar.

The lesion termed "infiltrating epitheliosis" (IE) by Azzopardi is described using his original criteria. The differential diagnosis from radial scar (RS) is discussed. It appears that IE and RS are histologically and histogenetically different and are also associated with a different risk of carcinoma.