Tubular Carcinoma of the Breast: Further Evidence to Support Its Excellent Prognosis

Purpose Although tubular carcinoma (TC) is known to have a favorable prognosis, it is still unknown whether this subtype represents a distinct type of breast carcinoma or whether it behaves like other low-grade luminal A–type breast carcinomas. Methods In this study, we performed a retrospective analysis of a large well-characterized series of breast cancers (2,608 carcinomas) to assess the clinicopathologic and molecular features and prognostic value of TC compared with grade 1 ductal carcinomas of the breast. Results When compared with grade 1 ductal carcinoma (n = 212), TC (n = 102) was more likely to be detected on mammographic screening, had smaller median size, and less frequently showed lymphovascular invasion. Compared with grade 1 ductal carcinoma, TC was associated with longer disease-free survival (χ2 = 13.25, P < .001) and breast cancer–specific survival (χ2 = 8.8, P = .003). In this study, none of the patients with TC developed distant metastasis or died from the disease without an intervenin...