Table 2. Association between mammographic findings according to the BI-RADS lexicon and prognostic factors.
| Mammographic findings and prognostic factor | Number (%) | OR | 95% CI | p-value |
| Histological grade (n = 562) | ||||
| Margin of mass | <0.001* | |||
| Spiculated | 24/128 (19) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Circumscribed or obscured | 22/55 (40) | 3.71 | 1.80, 7.63 | <0.001* |
| Microlobulated | 14/33 (42) | 3.61 | 1.57, 8.31 | 0.003* |
| Indistinct | 128/346 (37) | 2.70 | 1.64, 4.46 | <0.001* |
| Density of mass | <0.001* | |||
| Isodense | 57/220 (26) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Hyperdense | 131/342 (38) | 2.02 | 1.37, 2.97 | <0.001* |
| Lymphovascular invasion (n = 568) | ||||
| Shape of mass | 0.015* | |||
| Lobular | 7/116 (6) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Oval-to-round | 22/142 (15) | 2.86 | 1.17, 6.95 | 0.021* |
| Irregular | 55/310 (18) | 3.36 | 1.48, 7.61 | 0.004* |
| Extensive intraductal component (n = 568) | ||||
| Shape of mass | 0.001* | |||
| Oval-to-round | 25/142 (18) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Lobular | 22/116 (19) | 1.19 | 0.62, 2.29 | 0.593 |
| Irregular | 99/310 (32) | 2.68 | 1.53, 4.72 | 0.001* |
| Margin of mass | 0.011* | |||
| Spiculated | 23/128 (18) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Circumscribed or obscured | 13/55 (24) | 2.39 | 0.99, 5.76 | 0.051 |
| Microlobulated | 4/55 (11) | 0.93 | 0.28, 3.04 | 0.902 |
| Indistinct | 106/350 (30) | 2.21 | 1.31, 2.87 | 0.003* |
| Density of mass | 0.001* | |||
| Hyperdense | 74/348 (21) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Isodense | 72/220 (33) | 1.93 | 1.29, 2.87 | 0.001* |
| Associated calcification | <0.001* | |||
| None | 71/405 (18) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Calcifications in a mass | 57/136 (42) | 3.01 | 1.92, 4.73 | <0.001* |
| Segmental calcifications | 18/27 (67) | 7.36 | 3.08, 17.63 | <0.001* |
| Negative oestrogen receptor status (n = 568) | ||||
| Margin of mass | <0.001* | |||
| Spiculated | 19/128 (15) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Circumscribed or obscured | 28/55 (51) | 7.44 | 3.55, 15.62 | <0.001* |
| Microlobulated | 15/35 (43) | 4.71 | 2.04, 10.88 | <0.001* |
| Indistinct | 14/350 (42) | 4.39 | 2.57, 7.50 | <0.001* |
| Density of mass | 0.002* | |||
| Isodense | 68/220 (31) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Hyperdense | 141/348 (41) | 1.83 | 1.25, 2.67 | 0.002* |
| Positive HER-2/neu status (n = 568) | ||||
| Margin of mass | 0.072 | |||
| Spiculated | 17/128 (13) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Circumscribed or obscured | 9/55 (16) | 1.37 | 0.56, 3.32 | 0.492 |
| Microlobulated | 7/35 (20) | 1.62 | 0.60, 4.33 | 0.340 |
| Indistinct | 96/350 (27) | 2.09 | 1.18, 3.72 | 0.011* |
| Associated calcification | <0.001* | |||
| None | 69/405 (17) | Reference | NA | NA |
| Calcifications in a mass | 50/136 (37) | 2.56 | 1.64, 3.99 | <0.001* |
| Segmental calcifications | 10/27 (37) | 2.52 | 1.09, 5.78 | 0.030* |
NA, not applicable; OR, odds ratio; BI-RADS, Breast Imaging Report and Data System.
*Statistically significant parameters.
Note – For statistical analysis, prognostic factors were used as dichotomised variables as follows: tumours with histology grade 3 were considered as positive and cases with grades 1 and 2 as negative; HER-2/neu immunostaining was considered positive when strong (3+) membranous staining was observed, whereas cases with 0 to 2+ were regarded as negative; tumours with positive LVI were considered as positive and those with negative LVI as negative; tumours with positive EIC were defined as positive and those without as negative; and tumours with negative ER status were defined as positive whereas those with positive ER status were considered as negative.