Invasive Lobular vs. Ductal Breast Cancer: A Stage-Matched Comparison of Outcomes

Background Invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) is less common than invasive ductal breast cancer (IDC), more difficult to detect mammographically, and usually diagnosed at a later stage. Does delayed diagnosis of ILC affect survival? We used a national registry to compare outcomes of patients with stage-matched ILC and IDC. Methods Query of the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) tumor registry identified 263,408 women diagnosed with IDC or ILC between 1993 and 2003. Survival of patients matched by T and N stage was compared using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank analysis. Results When compared with IDC, ILC was more likely to be >2 cm (43.1 vs. 32.6%; P