[Medullary carcinoma experience in breast oncology unit of Hospital Juarez Mexico].

Background: Medullary breast cancer is a rare type, considered of good prognosis.

Objective: To know the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the population attended in the Hospital Juarez de Mexico, to know if they are alike to described worldwide and if the treatments proposed internationally are applicable for this hospitable center.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis. Reviewing the records with histopathologic diagnosis of medullary breast cancer from February 1993 to February 2011. Finding 41 patients in the oncology unit of the institution.

Results: We report an incidence of 3.04%, originating in 11 Mexican States, with a low to middle socioeconomic level in 39.02%. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 50 years. No family history was reported but some patients had medical history for type 2 diabetes, hypertension and previous breast cancer. 63.41% were menopausal. The average clinical size of the tumor was 58 mm. The 63% of the cases were located in the left breast. The 53.1% were clinical stages I and II, 46.3% were clinical stages III and in 9.6% of the cases primary tumor could not be assessed. Only 47% of the patients had positive axillary lynph nodes at diagnosis. The inmunohistochemestry was only reported in 14 of the 41 patients, according to the molecular classification of breast cancer: 8 were triple negative, 2 luminal A, 1 luminal B and 3 Her2neu.

Conclusions: The Mexican population presents epidemiological and clinical characteristics similar to those patients described in other studies worldwide.