Intramammary lymph node metastases are an independent predictor in breast cancer outcomes

615 Background: Breast cancer patients with intramammary lymph node (intraMLN) metastases are treated as having stage II disease, even in the absence of axillary nodal involvement. However, little is known about the true clinical significance of these lymph nodes. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical relevance of intraMLN and what role they play in breast cancer outcomes. Methods: Between 1983–2003, 196 intraMLN specimens were identified in our pathology database. 130 were found in association with a primary breast malignancy. Data on clinical and pathologic features were collected, and then evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis for locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant recurrence (DR), disease-free survival (DFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS). The median follow-up was 36 months. Results: The median age of patients was 53 years (range: 27–84). 24 patients (18%) had intraMLN identified pre-operatively by either mammography or ultrasound. The remainder were found durin...