The prognostic value of the aspiration biopsy smear in mammary carcinoma.

The prognostic significance of various morphologic factors (size of nuclei, nucleoli, mitotic frequency, naked carcinoma nuclei, nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio, size of cell clusters, necrotic matter, mucoid matter, and lymphocytes) was studied in aspiration biopsy smears from 494 carcinomas of the breast. A multivariate analysis of clinical and cytologic variables was performed with regard to five-and ten-year survival.