Our study aims to determine whether patients with lobular-type breast cancer have significantly improved rates of breast conservation (BCT) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT).

Patients who received nCT and surgery within three prospective trials between 1995 and 2007 at the Medical University of Vienna were retrospectively analyzed.

325 patients had median follow-up of 53 months; 21% had lobular cancer, and 70% of these women were initially scheduled for mastectomy (MX). Twenty-one finally received BCT, yielding a MX–BCT turnover rate of 45%. Of patients primarily scheduled for BCT, 20% had to finally undergo MX in lobular cancer. The 256 patients with ductal-type breast cancer finally had a MX–BCT turnover rate of 52% (p = 0.561 versus lobular) and a BCT–MX turnover rate of 15% (p = 0.933 versus lobular). Secondary MX after initial BCT was necessary in 2% (ductal) and 10% (lobular, p = 0.110). There was no difference in local recurrence in lobular- as compared with ductal-type breast cancer patients after BCT (2.7% versus 10%, p = 0.135), nor was a difference seen in lobular breast cancer patients when comparing BCT with MX (2.7% versus 3.4%, p = 0.795). Tumor type was not an independent predictor for either BCT or local recurrence.

We do not suggest excluding patients with lobular-type breast cancer who are primarily scheduled for MX from nCT, since BCT rates may still increase by 45% without influencing the oncologic outcome.