Tumour characteristics of patients with a positive nipple margin (n = 10)
| Patient | Tumour histology | Tumour size on imaging, cm | Tumour size on pathology, cm | Clinical distance to nipple, cm | Radiological distance to nipple, cm | NAT or upfront surgery | Incision for NSM | Management of positive nipple biopsy | Adjuvant therapy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCIS | 1.5 | 3.2 | Not palpable | 3 | Surgery | Inframammary fold | NAC excision | None |
| 2 | DCIS | 3.8 | 0* | Unknown | 0.8 | Surgery | Inframammary fold | Observation | None |
| 3 | Invasive cancer | 4.0 | 3.5 | Not palpable | 5.5 | Surgery | Radial | NAC excision | Endocrine |
| 4 | Invasive cancer | 0.1 | 1.7 | NA† | NA† | Surgery | Inframammary fold | NAC excision | Chemotherapy, RT and endocrine |
| 5 | Invasive cancer | 1.5 | 2.2 | 5 | 4 | Surgery | Inframammary fold | NAC excision | Chemotherapy, RT and endocrine |
| 6 | Invasive cancer | 7 | 4.0 | 5 | 5 | NAT | Inframammary fold | NAC excision | RT and endocrine |
| 7 | Invasive cancer | 3 | 1.2 | Unknown | 6 | NAT | Inframammary fold | NAC excision | RT and endocrine |
| 8 | Invasive cancer | 0.9 | 1.6 | 7 | 7 | Surgery | Radial | NAC excision | Endocrine |
| 9 | DCIS | 9 | 8.0 | 2 | 5 | Surgery | Circumareolar with lateral extension | Observation | None |
| 10 | DCIS | 4.1 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 2 | Surgery | Inframammary fold | Observation | Chemotherapy, RT and endocrine |
DCIS = ductal carcinoma in situ; NA = not applicable; NAC = nipple-areolar complex; NAT = neoadjuvant therapy; NSM = nipple sparing mastectomy; RT = radiation therapy.
↵* Multifocal DCIS.
↵† Patient had a normal mammogram and ultrasonography performed, but had a palpable mass in the axillary tail of left breast, that was excised and revealed invasive lobular cancer with positive margins. The patient had bilateral magnetic resonance imaging (normal), but elected to proceed with NSM.