Carcinoma of the breast. Histologic and clinical features of apocrine tumors.

Abstract

Our experience with so-called apocrine carcinoma of the breast is reviewed. In a 16-year period 19 apocrine carcinomas of the breast were found in 18 patients. Two patients had nonsimultaneous bilateral cancer of the breast. In one case both tumors were of the apocrine type and in the other case one tumor was apocrine and the second primary a nonspecific infiltrating duct cancer. When our 18 patients were matched carefully with a control series of nonspecific duct carcinomas of the breast, median survival was 2 years longer for the group with apocrine carcinoma. The ultimate outcome in both groups, however, was identical. Investigation of the origin of these tumors by use of the iron reaction as described by Richter for identifying true apocrine glands showed that all cases were negative. The resemblance of apocrine carcinoma of the breast to true apocrine glands would seem to be a morphological one only. There is no long-term prognostic significance associated with this morphological variant of mammary cancer.