Mammographic tumor features can predict long‐term outcomes reliably in women with 1–14‐mm invasive breast carcinoma

The subgroup of women who had small invasive breast carcinomas accompanied by casting-type calcifications had an unexpectedly poor prognosis for this tumor-size category. The process of neoductgenesis offers a possible explanation for the unexpectedly poor outcome. There is a need to develop treatment protocols for this group and to reevaluate the present TNM classification system for mammographically detected 1-14-mm breast carcinomas. After excluding women who had tumors associated with casting-type calcifications, the remaining women had an extremely good prognosis when they were treated with surgery alone. Due to their already excellent survival, adjuvant therapeutic regimens are unlikely to offer further benefit for these patients.