Purpose: Breast carcinoma presenting with axillary lymphadenopathy and no clinical or radiological evidence of a primary tumor is a rare presentation. We aimed to examine the management of the breast by observation, radiation therapy, or mastectomy.
Methods and materials: Departmental records from 1979 to 1996 of unknown primary presentations and cases of T0N1-2M0 breast carcinoma were reviewed to find cases of occult breast carcinoma presenting as axillary lymphadenopathy with no clinical or imaging evidence of a primary tumor.
Results: There were 6047 presentations of breast carcinoma with 20 cases of occult breast carcinoma meeting the criteria. The breast was treated by observation in 6 cases, mastectomy in 2 cases, and radiotherapy to the intact breast in 12 cases. Eighty-three percent of patients (5 of 6 patients) who had observation of the breast had a local recurrence, compared to 25% who had radiotherapy to the intact breast (3 of 12 patients) and 0% who had a mastectomy (0 of 2 patients). The median recurrence-free survival was 7 months in patients who had observation of the breast, compared to 182 months in patients who had local treatment. Three of the 6 patients who underwent breast observation have died whereas 1 of the 14 who had local treatment have died, with a mean follow-up of 73 months. It was found that patients having observation of the breast had a poorer recurrence-free survival (p = 0.003) and overall survival (p = 0.05) compared to those having local treatment of the breast.
Conclusions: Patients with such a presentation should have a complete physical examination, mammography, ultrasound, and MRI of the breasts. If there remains no evidence of a primary tumor, an axillary dissection should be carried out and the breast treated by radiotherapy or mastectomy. Observation of the breast is not a recommended option.