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Abstract
Purpose
Apocrine carcinoma of the breast, a specific histologic type of human breast cancer, is a rare malignant tumor. Because of the rarity of apocrine carcinoma and lack of a standardized definition, the clinicopathologic features have not been definitively determined. In this study, we present a single institution analysis of the clinicopathologic features of 19 cases of apocrine carcinoma and contrast them with those seen in infiltrating ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified (NOS).
Methods
We respectively reviewed the records of 19 patients with apocrine carcinoma who underwent surgery at Korea Cancer Center Hospital between October 1997 and April 2007.
Results
The mean patient age was 52.8 years. Eight patients (42.1%) were under 50 years of age. In all patients, the initial symptom was a breast mass. Twelve (63.2%) of 19 tumors were located in the right breast and the other 7 cases (36.8%) were located in the left breast. The average tumor size was 2.19 cm (range 0.7-7 cm). Two patients had axillary lymph node metastasis. Estrogen receptor (ER) was positive in 3 cases (16.7%). The HER-2 overexpression rate was 35.3%. There was no locoreginal recurrence, distant metastasis, or death during the median follow-up period of 35.4 months (range 4-114 months).
Conclusion
Compared with the alleged characteristics seen in Korean breast cancer patients, apocrine carcinoma was characterized by an older age at the time of diagnosis and a higher incidence of hormone receptor negatively. The HER-2 overexpression rate was similar to the rate for other tumors. Although there was a relatively low incidence ER positivity, there was no recurrence or death. Therefore, apocrine carcinoma appears to be clinically distinct from infiltrating ductal carcinoma, NOS.
Figures and Tables
Fig 1
Invasive apocrine carcinoma. (A) Gross finding of apocrine carcinoma showed a 2×3 cm sized, well-circumscribed whitish gray mass, (B, C) Carcinoma characterized by well circumscribed margin, large tumor cells with relatively dense cytoplasm and large, hyperchromatic nuclei (HE stain ×40 [B], ×400 [C]).
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