Radiological and pathological predictors of post-operative upstaging of breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to invasive ductal carcinoma and lymph-nodes metastasis; a potential algorithm for node surgical de-escalation

Background/aim

Ductal carcinoma in situ is considered a local disease with no metastatic potential, thus sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) may be deemed an overtreatment. SLNB should be reserved for patients with invasive cancer, even though the risk of upstaging rises to 25 %. We aimed to identify clinicopathological predictors of post-operative upstaging in invasive carcinoma.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed patients with a pre-operative diagnosis of DCIS subjected to breast surgery between January 2017 to December 2021, and evaluated at the Breast Unit of PTV (Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome).

Results

Out of 267 patients diagnosed with DCIS, 33(12.4 %) received a diagnosis upstaging and 9(3.37 %) patients presented with sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis. In multivariate analysis, grade 3 tumor (OR 1.9; 95 % CI 1.2–5.6), dense nodule at mammography (OR 1.3; 95 % CI 1.1–2.6) and presence of a solid nodule at ultrasonography (OR 1.5; 95 % CI 1.2–2.6) were independent upstaging predictors. Differently, the independent predictors for SLNB metastasis were: upstaging (OR 2.1.; 95 % CI 1.2–4.6; p = 0.0079) and age between 40 and 60yrs (OR 1.4; 95 % CI 1.4–2.7; p = 0.027).

All 9 patients with SLN metastasis received a diagnosis upstaging and were aged between 40 and 60 years old.

Conclusion

We identified pre-operative independent predictors of upstaging to invasive ductal carcinoma. The combined use of different predictors in an algorithm for surgical treatments of DCIS could reduce the numbers of unnecessary SLNB.