BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of peritumoral vascular invasion (PVI) in node negative breast cancer (N-) is a controversial issue. Considerable debate has focused on how PVI should be defined, and the techniques used to detect them have differed considerably from one study to another.MATERIAL AND METHODS: In our study, 167 cases of N- breast cancers were reviewed, with a view to determining whether or not PVI, as defined in the recently published European recommendations, were present.RESULTS: Based on the results of the subsequent statistical study, the presence of PVI was not found to constitute a reliable prognostic index to the outcome of N- breast cancer.CONCLUSION: Referring each case to the data available in the literature, the difficulties encountered when searching for PVI of this kind are described, the results of various studies on the topic are reviewed and whether it is worth pursuing studies along these lines is discussed.
Adult Aged