Abstract: Objective To assess recent trends and prognostic features in the treatment of pure mucinous carcinoma (PMC) of the breast. Methods Fifty-six patients diagnosed with PMC of the breast in our hospital from December 1982 to June 2008 were included. We evaluated the general information and tumor characteristics of the patients, examined the relationship between these factors and prognosis. Fisher's exact test was applied to analyze tumor characteristics. Results The mean age of the patients was 53.7 years. The majority of the patients presented with early stage disease. Tumor size was found not a significant prognostic factor in this study. Mean follow-up period was 39 months and no breast cancer-related deaths were identified in the patient cohort. Conclusions PMC of the breast has a favorable prognosis. Tumor size does not appear to significantly impact survival.

Key words: breast cancer, pure mucinous breast carcinoma, lymph node status