Apocrine Carcinoma of the Male Breast: A Case Report

Abstract

Invasive Apocrine Carcinoma (IAC) of the breast is a rare form of Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC). Whether or not IAC is clinically distinct from IDC is unclear. Some studies have reported that IAC is associated with poorer rates of disease-free survival and overall survival as compared to IDC, whereas others have found no significant difference in long term outcomes. Patients with IAC may be more susceptible to development of cancer in the contralateral breast, although this has rarely been addressed in the literature. The present study describes the case of a 67-year-old male who was diagnosed with and treated for IAC. Five years later, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Ten years later, the patient was diagnosed with IDC in the contralateral breast. At his most recent follow up, 15 years after his initial diagnosis, the patient was well with no signs of recurrence.