Salivary gland-like breast carcinomas: An infrequent disease

Pathol Res Pract. 2016 Nov;212(11):1034-1038. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2016.09.001. Epub 2016 Sep 13.

Abstract

Objective: To show the incidence, as well as the clinical and histopathological characteristics, of patients diagnosed with mammary salivary gland-like carcinomas at our institution.

Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted in all women diagnosed with breast cancer at our institution from January 2005 to February 2016. Patients with diagnosis of salivary gland-like breast carcinomas were included.

Results: In this period, 6384 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer at our institution; salivary gland-like carcinomas were found in 7 patients (0.1%), adenoid cystic carcinoma was diagnosed in 5 patients (0.07%), acinic cell carcinoma in 1 patient (0.015%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma in 1 patient (0.015%). The triple-negative subtype was found in all of the tumors. Median follow-up was 66.3 months (range, 1-108 months). No patient developed local or distant recurrence.

Conclusions: Salivary gland-like breast tumors are extremely rare. We found a global incidence of 0.1%. Adenoid cystic, acinic cell and mucoepidermoid carcinomas were the three histologic types diagnosed. Although the triple-negative subtype is mainly found, good prognosis is expected.

Keywords: Acinic cell carcinoma; Adenoid cystic carcinoma; Breast cancer; Mucoepidermoid carcinoma; Salivary gland-like breast carcinoma.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma, Acinar Cell / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / pathology*