Apocrine Carcinoma of the Breast: Clinicopathologic Analysis of 19 Cases.
10.4048/jbc.2008.11.4.201
- Author:
Min Ki SUNG
1
;
Woo Chul NOH
;
Min Suk KIM
;
Hyun Ah KIM
;
Nam Sun PAIK
;
Nan Mo MOON
;
Yang Hee KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery, Korea Institution and Medical Science, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Breast;
Carcinoma;
Apocrine
- MeSH:
Breast;
Breast Neoplasms;
Carcinoma, Ductal;
Estrogens;
Follow-Up Studies;
Humans;
Incidence;
Korea;
Lymph Nodes;
Neoplasm Metastasis;
Recurrence
- From:Journal of Breast Cancer
2008;11(4):201-205
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
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.
