Mucinous Carcinoma Of Breast Research Articles

Pure Mucinous Breast Carcinoma In Young Female: A Rare Entity With Good Prognosis Among Infiltrating Breast Carcinoma S

Pure Mucinous Breast Carcinoma In Young Female: A Rare Entity With Good Prognosis Among Infiltrating Breast Carcinoma S

Mucinous Carcinoma of Breast: A Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Study

Introduction: Mucinous Carcinoma (MC) is a special type of breast cancer. It comprises 4% (1-7%) of all invasive breast cancer. MC is also called colloid breast cancer characterised by nests of cells floating in lakes of mucin. It is divided into two subtypes Pure Mucinous Carcinoma (PMC) and Mixed Mucinous Carcinoma (MMC). PMC classified into two main types according to its structural and cytological features type A (paucicellular) the classical variant with a large amount of extracellular mucin, and type B (hypercellular) a hypercellular variant with less mucin and often with neuroendocrine differentiation. Hormone receptors, Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor-2 (HER2) and MUC2 status play an important role in prognosis and management. Aim: To study histopathological features of MC breast and Immunohistochemical (IHC) status. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of patients who presented with breast cancer were studied at Department of Pathology, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubballi, Karnataka, India. The study was analysed in June 2002 and authors included data from January 2021 to June 2022. The data included the age at diagnosis, Tumour (T), Lymph Nodes (N), and Metastases (M) (TNM) stage, presence and number of Lymph Node (LN) metastases, Oestrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), HER2 and MUC2 status. The patients in whom the diagnosis of MC of breast was given on histopathology were only included in the study. Patients of breast cancer of other pathological types were excluded from the detailed study. Descriptive statistics like mean, tables, and charts were used with the help of Microsoft office 2007 to interpret the results. Results: A total of 245 patients reported as invasive breast cancer during 18 months of study period, out of which 12 cases diagnosed as MC were taken in study. Amongst 12 cases, eight cases were PMC and four cases were MMC. The mean age at presentation was 63.37±16.38 years (eight PMC) and 60.0±19.30 years (four MMC). A total of 11 out of 12 cases were females and only one was male case (PMC). Majority of PMC 04 (50.0%) and MMC 03 (75.0%) were observed to be in TNM Stage 2, and four of 12 cases of MC had LN metastasis with no distant metastasis. MC showed higher expression of hormone receptors and lower expression of HER2/neu and MUC2 positivity, which corroborates with other studies and concluded that, MC with such an immunohistochemistry profile was prognostically better. Conclusion: Mucinous Breast Carcinoma (MBC) is a rare type of breast cancer accounting for about 4% of all diagnosed breast cancers. These are associated with a better long-term prognosis than other breast cancers. Hormone receptors and HER2 status play an important role in prognosis and management. MUC2 also plays a major role in mediating the proliferation, apoptosis, metastases of breast cancer cells and determining the use of chemotherapy drugs.

Histologic and genomic characterization of a primary mucinous carcinoma of the skin

AimsPrimary skin mucinous carcinoma is a rare sweat gland neoplasm with a high local recurrence rate after conventional excision but a low distant-metastasis rate. The genetic underpinning of skin mucinous carcinoma is presently unknown. Here, we sought to define whether the repertoire of somatic mutations of a primary mucinous carcinoma of the skin would be similar to that of mucinous breast carcinomas, given the histologic similarities between these tumor types. Methods and resultsThe tumor was situated in the dermis and partially involved the subcutaneous fat. Tumor cells were suspended in periodic acid–Schiff diastaseresistant- positive mucin lakes and expressed cytokeratin 7, synaptophysin and estrogen receptor. DNA samples extracted from microdissected tumor and matched normal tissue were subjected to massively parallel sequencing targeting 410 cancer-related genes. The skin mucinous tumor was found to have a low tumor mutation burden, but to harbor a clonal GATA3 frameshift mutation (p.T418Hfs*89) and amplification of FOXA1, genes not uncommonly altered in breast mucinous carcinomas. ConclusionsIn this primary skin mucinous carcinoma, GATA3 and FOXA1 driver genetic events were identified, consistent with a possible developmental relationship between skin and breast mucinous neoplasms.

Gross Cystic Disease Fluid Protein-15 (GCDFP-15) Expression Characterizes Breast Mucinous Carcinomas in Older Women.

The predominant histological subtype of breast mucinous carcinoma in older women is type B (hypercellular type), and, in younger women, it is type A (hypocellular type). The characteristics of mucinous carcinomas of the same histological subtype may differ between older and younger women. This study aims to systematically clarify the pathological/immunohistochemical features of mucinous carcinomas. A total of 21 surgical cases of mucinous carcinoma (type A/B: 9/12 cases) in the older group (≥65 years) and 16 cases (type A/B: 14/2 cases) in the younger group (≤55 years) (n = 37) were included. Gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 (GCDFP-15) and eight other markers were used for immunostaining. The GCDFP-15-positive rate in the older group was high regardless of the histological subtype (type A, 77.8%; type B, 91.7%). The GCDFP-15 positivity in the older group was significantly higher than that in the younger group (p < 0.001 for Allred score). Among type A, GCDFP-15 positivity was significantly higher in the older group than in the younger group (p = 0.042 for the Allred score and p = 0.007 for the positivity rate). The present results suggest that GCDFP-15 expression characterizes mucinous carcinomas in older women.

Comparison of Clinical, Histopathological, and Survival Outcomes of Pure and Mixed Mucinous Breast Carcinoma

Comparison of Clinical, Histopathological, and Survival Outcomes of Pure and Mixed Mucinous Breast Carcinoma

Pure Mucinous Breast Carcinoma With a Favorable Tumor Biology and Clinical Outcomes.

A few studies suggest that mucinous breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare breast carcinoma with good prognostic features. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate biological features and clinicopathological characteristics of pure mucinous breast carcinoma (PMBC) to determine clinical outcome in PMBC. The data of 87 patients diagnosed with PMBC between November 2004 and February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed in terms of clinicopathological and demographic characteristics, management, and outcome. The majority of the patients in this study were female, with a median (range) age of 63 (28-90) years. Out of 87 patients, 60 had breast conserving surgery, 27 had a mastectomy, 58 had sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), and 24 had axillary dissection due to a positive SLNB or clinical axilla. Due to age and comorbidities, five patients were not suitable for axillary surgery. The median largest tumor diameter was 23 (5-100) mm. Only 23 patients (26.4%) received adjuvant chemotherapy, whereas almost all patients received hormone therapy. The median duration of follow-up was 53 (6-207) months. There was no local or systemic recurrence in any of the patients. Only 10 patients (11.5%) died from non-cancer causes during the follow-up and treatment period. In this study, tumor diameter was significantly higher in grade II/III tumors (p = 0.039) and in patients under the age of 50 (p = 0.027). Furthermore, lymph node metastasis was statistically significantly more likely in patients under the age of 50 (60% versus 40%, p = 0.013). Patients who had not received chemotherapy or radiotherapy tended to be older than 50 years (p = 0.002). In this study, the majority of patients were in the luminal subgroups with excellent prognosis and low incidences of lymph node metastasis. As a result, PMBC has favorable tumor biology. We believe that minimal axillary surgery would be the most appropriate approach during patient treatment, due to the low rate of lymph node involvement and favorable prognosis in PMBC patients.

A Diagnostic Revelation: Case of a Mucinous Carcinoma of the Breast.

Mucinous or colloid cancers are a rare subtype of invasive ductal carcinoma, making up only 2-3% of infiltrating carcinomas. Prevalence of pure mucinous breast cancer(PMBC) among infiltrating duct carcinomas in less than 60year olds is 2-7%, and in less than 35year olds, it is 1%. Mucinous carcinoma of the breast is divided into 2 subtypes, the pure type and mixed type. PMBC is characterized by a lower incidence of nodal involvement, favourable histological grade, and higher ER/PR expression. Axillary metastases are rare, though found in 12-14%. It has a better prognosis than infiltrative ductal cancer with 10-year survival being more than 90%. Here is the case of a 70-year-old female who presented with lump in the left breast since 3years. On examination, we detected a left breast lump occupying the whole breast except lower outer quadrant, measuring 10 × 8cm with overlying skin stretched with puckering and engorged veins seen, nipple displaced laterally and higher by 1cm, firm to hard in consistency, and mobile with breast tissue. Sonomammography, mammography, FNAC and biopsy were suggestive of benign phyllodes tumour. Patient was hence posted for simple mastectomy on the left side with removal of attached lymph nodes (near axillary tail). Histopathological examination revealed pure mucinous breast carcinoma with nine lymph nodes, free from tumour and showing reactive hyperplasia. Immunohistochemistry studies demonstrated ER + , PR + , HER-2-NEU-. The patient was started on hormonal therapy. Therefore, mucinous carcinoma of the breast is a rare entity with imaging features sometimes mimicking a benign tumour such as Phyllodes tumour, hence making it important to include it as a differential diagnosis in our daily practice. It is especially important in the subtyping of carcinoma of the breast since it carries a favourable risk profile with less chances of lymph node involvement, higher hormone receptor positivity and good response to endocrine treatment.

Prognostic Impact of Radiation Therapy in Pure Mucinous Breast Carcinoma

PurposePure Mucinous breast carcinoma (PMBC) is an invasive breast cancer with favorable prognosis. While pathology-specific guidelines exist for PMBC regarding adjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy, no recommendations exist regarding locoregional treatment based on tumor histology. Prognostic impact of radiotherapy for patients with PMBC remains unclear. Materials and MethodsThe National Cancer Database was queried (2004-2017) for patients with pN0M0 PMBC who underwent lumpectomy. Chi-square testing compared categorical frequencies between patients who received radiotherapy versus those who did not. Propensity score matching created a 1:1 matched cohort of patients who received radiotherapy and patients who didn't. Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated overall survival (OS). Cox proportional hazard analyses identified clinical and treatment factors prognostic for OS. Results17,259 patients met selection criteria; 11,087 (74%) received radiotherapy while 3852 (26%) did not. After PSM, radiotherapy (HR 0.629; 95% CI 0.531-0.746), endocrine therapy (HR 0.676; 95% CI 0.567-0.805), black race (HR 0.703; 95% CI 0.498-0.991), and private insurance (HR 0.184; 95% CI 0.078-0.432) were favorable prognostic factors on multivariate Cox regression analysis while age ≥ 70 years (HR 2.668; 95% CI 1.903-3.740), tumor size > 20 mm (HR 1.964; 95% CI 1.613-2.391), and CDCC score > 0 (HR 1.770; 95% CI 1.474-2.126) were unfavorable prognostic factors. After PSM, 5-year OS was 86% for those who received radiotherapy and 81% for those who did not (P < .001). ConclusionThis is the largest study to date on PMBC and the prognostic impact of adjuvant radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is associated with a survival advantage, suggesting omission of radiotherapy is not warranted.

The clinicopathological and prognostic characteristics of mucinous micropapillary carcinoma of the breast.

Mucinous micropapillary carcinoma (MMPC) is a unique subtype of breast cancer, and there is as yet no detailed report on the clinical characteristics of MMPC. MMPC, pure mucinous breast carcinoma (PMBC), and invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) samples were enrolled simultaneously, and immunohistochemistry analysis was performed to explore the clinicopathological attributes of MMPC. Moreover, survival analyses of MMPC were performed among the MMPC, PMBC, and IMPC groups and within the MMPC group. The results showed that MMPC demonstrated distinct pathological features and that vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis were two significant clinical attributes of MMPC. MMPC leads to a shorter survival time than PMBC but an increased survival time compared to IMPC, while the tumor-node-metastasis stage and lymph node metastasis were identified as two independent prognostic elements for disease-free survival in discerning the MMPC prognosis. The gathered data implied that further understanding and classification of MMPC may provide better individualized therapeutic strategies for MMPC treatment.

Shedding Light on T2 Bright Masses on Breast MRI: Benign and Malignant Causes.

While T2 hyperintense masses on breast MRI are often benign, there are several malignant etiologies that can also be T2 hyperintense. Delineation between benign and malignant entities is important for the accurate interpretation of breast MRI. Common benign T2 hyperintense masses include cysts, fibroadenomas, and lymph nodes. Malignant processes that are T2 hyperintense include metastatic lymph nodes, mucinous breast carcinomas, papillary breast carcinomas, and breast cancers with central necrosis. Evaluation of the morphology and enhancement pattern of a T2 hyperintense mass can help to differentiate a benign process from a malignant one. This educational review will present both benign and malignant causes of T2 hyperintense masses on breast MRI and review common imaging findings and pertinent imaging characteristics that can be used to help accurately identify benign entities while also recognizing suspicious lesions that require additional evaluation.

A novel nomogram and risk classification system for predicting lymph node metastasis of breast mucinous carcinoma: A SEER-based study.

Mucinous breast cancer (MBC) is a rare disease, and patients with lymph node metastasis (LNM) have a poor prognosis. We aimed to explore the predictive factors of LNM and to construct a nomogram for predicting the risk of LNM and to identify the suitable axillary surgery for patients with diverse risks. Data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Chi-square and rank-sum tests were used to analyze the differences between groups. Survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. Independent factor identification and nomogram construction were performed with logistic regression analysis. The nomogram was qualified with a discrimination and calibration plot. Propensity score matching was performed to balance the disparities between groups. Patients with metastatic lymph nodes have a worse prognosis. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that tumor size, grade, and age were independent risk factors for LNM. The nomogram constructed with these three factors can predict the risk of LNM with high accuracy (AUC: 0.767, 95% CI: 0.697-0.838) and good calibration. Based on the nomogram, a risk classification system satisfactorily stratified the patients into 3 groups with diverse risks of LNM. In the low-risk group, there were no significant differences between sentinel lymph node biopsy and no axillary surgery. In the middle- and high-risk groups, both SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection were superior to no axillary surgery, with similar survival benefits. The nomogram based on tumor size, grade, and age could conveniently and accurately predict the risk of LNM in MBC and assist clinicians in optimizing surgical strategies.

Feasibility of dpFAMM flap in tongue reconstruction after facial vessel ligation and radiotherapy\u2014case presentation

BackgroundSalvage surgery with reconstruction of the second and next primary tongue cancer remains difficult, especially after earlier neck dissection and radiotherapy. In the current report, we describe the feasibility of the extended, double-pedicled facial artery musculomucosal (dpFAMM) flap in the reconstruction of the patient with second primary tongue squamous cell carcinoma, after facial vessel ligation and radiotherapy.Case presentationAn 81-year-old female patient was operated on due to tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on the left side T3N1M0 in 2019. Bilateral selective neck dissection with tongue reconstruction was performed by island FAMM flap. The patient also suffered from synchronous mucinous breast carcinoma treated with tamoxifen. The second primary SCC of the tongue on the opposite (right) side was detected in 2020. The patient did not agree to surgical treatment; therefore, radiotherapy was performed. The local recurrence of the tongue cancer of the right side was treated surgically in 2021. Salvage surgery comprised hemiglossectomy and dpFAMM flap reconstruction with uneventful postoperative follow-up.ConclusionsThis case presentation proved that dpFAMM flap can be used in salvage surgery and reconstruction even in patients after ligation of facial vessels, irradiation, and in the course of hormone therapy. The flap is easy to handle, has good vascularity, and comprises a predictable method of reconstruction, especially for patients with severe comorbidities.

Atypical Breast CarcinomaA Series of Six Cases

Breast cancer comprises 10.4% of all cancer among women world and it the second most common type of cancer. Increased public awareness and screening have led to earlier diagnosis at different stages. Surgical resection can be done earlier and complete cure of the disease can be achieved. As a result survival rates for breast cancer in young women have improved significantly. Six unusual type of breast carcinoma, presented to the Surgery Outpatient Department were referred to Pathology Department for further investigations. Patient age and sex, clinical characteristics of the tumour, the duration of the lesion, the size, radiological investigation, Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC), trucut biopsy and histopathological examination were noted. Immunohistochemical examination also done in all the cases. Out of the six cases of breast carcinoma, one was the mucinous carcinoma of breast, two invasive papillary breast carcinoma, one apocrine carcinoma, one invasive Pleomorphic Lobular Carcinoma (PLC) of breast and one was fibromatosis like metaplastic carcinoma of breast. All the patients were female except, a 71-year-old male who presented with invasive papillary carcinoma. All the female patients were presented at postmenopausal age group. After careful examination of the cytology and histopathological slides the final diagnosis was made which helped the clinician for further treatment. Rare breast cancers do not differ from other types of breast cancer in their presentation. But they vary by treatment regimens and outcomes. So, proper diagnosis with imaging, FNAC, trucut biopsy and histopathological examination is a combined tool for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Metastasis of mucinous breast carcinoma to the lower alveolus as initial presentation: a diagnostic dilemma.

Metastases in the oral cavity are rare and comprise approximately 1% of all oral malignancies. They usually involve the jaws but may also be found in the soft tissues and salivary glands. Women's most common metastatic malignancies are from primary breast cancers. However, metastasis of mucinous breast carcinoma to the lower alveolus mimicking an aggressive primary malignancy as the initial presentation is exceptionally uncommon. We describe the case of a 66-year-old lady with an ulceroproliferative growth in the right lower alveolus. The lesion eroded the mandible and involved the adjacent soft tissues with no prior history of lesion anywhere else. The lesion clinically mimicked a squamous cell carcinoma and masqueraded as a salivary gland mucinous adenocarcinoma on histopathology. The possibility of a metastatic lesion from the breast rather than a primary of the alveolus was also entertained, aided by the immunohistochemical findings of positivity of the tumor cells for GATA3. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan was undertaken to ascertain the primary site. It detected a hypermetabolic lesion in the left breast, which biopsy revealed mucinous breast carcinoma on histopathological evaluation. Metastasis of breast mucinous carcinoma by the hematogenous route is extremely rare; very few cases have been reported. This case illustrates the diagnostic challenges such a lesion can pose to the surgeon and the pathologist. In the advent of such lesions being the initial clinical presentation, a vigilant clinicopathological and radiological assessment is essential to detect the primary.

Overall Survival in Patients with Mucinous Carcinoma of Breast: A Population-Based Study.

PurposeMucinous carcinoma of the breast (MCB) is a rare malignant tumour. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a survival prediction model for MCB patients.MethodsClinicopathological and follow-up data of MCB patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. The significant factors were screened out and generated Kaplan–Meier (K-M) curves for each prognostic factor. Additionally, these factors were then utilized to build a nomogram for predicting 3-, 4-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) of MCB patients. The nomogram was evaluated using calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsMoreover, a total of 4326 MCB patients were retrieved. Age, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, surgery, radiotherapy and bone metastasis were identified as independently prognosis factors for OS. The corresponding areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of the nomogram at 3, 4 and 5 years in the training and validation set were 0.770, 0.788, 0.805, 0.778, 0.797, and 0.802, respectively. The calibration curves and DCA revealed that the prediction model had an excellent performance. Finally, the risk stratification system confirmed that the powerful role of the nomogram in distinguishing results and risk stratification.ConclusionBriefly, the nomogram incorporating various clinicopathological indicators was established for MCB patients and may facilitate clinical decision-making.

Mixed mucinous carcinoma of breast – A case report

In females breast carcinoma is the most common cancer worldwide. Globally, 2.3 million women were diagnosed and 685 000 deaths due to breast cancer were reported in year 2020. Even in the era of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular studies, the aggressive nature of the breast cancer can be determined by its histological type, grade, nodal status, and metastasis. Mucinous carcinoma (MC) is a rare variant of invasive breast cancer accounting for 1-7%. It is represented by the presence of large extracellular mucin pools. Based on the mucin content two main subtypes are identified: Pure Mucinous Carcinoma (PMC) and Mixed Mucinous Carcinoma (MMC). Pure Mucinous Carcinoma (PMC) is localized in most of the cases, whereas the mixed forms tend to metastasize to lymph nodes. Hence the mixed forms often require an axillary dissection during surgery. We are presenting a case of 70 year old female who presented with the complaints of lump in the right breast since 2 months and on ultrasound work up a score of BIRADS V was given. She underwent right modified mastectomy with right axillary dissection and was diagnosed as mixed type of mucinous adenocarcinoma breast by histopathological examination. It was confirmed by IHC which showed positivity for ER, PR &amp; Synaptophysin and negativity for Her2neu. Prognostically MC is better compared to other variants of invasive ductal carcinoma as they respond to hormone therapy.

Pure Mucinous Breast Carcinoma with Micropapillary Pattern in a 32-Year-Old Female

Background: Mucinous carcinoma (MC) is a rare breast malignancy with a large extracellular mucin secretion. It has a good prognosis in comparison to other breast malignancies. Case presentation: We report a 32 years old female with multiple hard palpable masses in the left breast with rapid growth in 6 months. She was mentally retarded with lower limb varicose veins associated with mucocutaneous lesions on the face. She underwent ultrasound examination of the breast, thyroid and lower extremity veins. Core needle biopsy and fine needle aspiration from left breast lesions and right thyroid nodules showed MC and follicular lesion with hurtle cell change, respectively. Suspected metastasis in the left rib and calvarium in the subsequent bone scan survey and brain magnetic resonance imaging was reported. She underwent radical mastectomy and right hemi-thyroidectomy. Conclusion: Pure mucinous carcinoma with micropapillary pattern (MUMPC) is a new histology variant of Pure Mucinous Carcinoma (PMC) that shows favorable prognosis with less aggression and occurs in older patients. However, PMC in our patient occurred at a young age with greater aggression.

Sonographic Features of Pure Mucinous Brelast Carcinoma With Micropapillary Pattern.

ObjectivePrevious studies have mostly discussed the clinical manifestations and prognosis of mucinous breast carcinoma with a micropapillary pattern. The purposes of this study were to investigate the sonographic features of pure mucinous breast carcinoma with micropapillary pattern (MUMPC) and to identify the role of ultrasound in the differential diagnosis between MUMPC and conventional pure mucinous breast carcinoma (cPMBC).Materials and MethodsWe obtained written informed consent from all patients, and the Ethics Committee of West China Hospital approved this retrospective study. The study was conducted between May and August 2020. We enrolled 133 patients with 133 breast lesions confirmed as mucinous breast carcinoma (MBC) histopathologically between January 2014 and January 2020.We retrospectively assessed sonographic features (margin, shape, internal echogenicity, calcification, posterior acoustic feature, invasive growth, blood flow grade, and rate of missed diagnosis) and clinical characteristics (age, tumor size, tumor texture, initial symptom, and lymph node metastasis). Bivariable analyses were performed using SPSS version 19.0.ResultsThe 133 lesions included 11 MUMPCs, 65 cPMBCs, and 57 mixed MBCs (MMBCs). There were significant differences in margin, shape, calcification, posterior acoustic feature, invasive growth, rate of missed diagnosis, average tumor size, and lymph node metastasis among the three groups (p < 0.05). The subsequent pairwise comparisons showed that there were significant differences in lymph node metastasis, margin, and invasive growth between MUMPC and cPMBC (p < 0.05). In patients aged >45 years, there was a significant difference in tumor size among the three groups (p = 0.045), and paired comparison showed that the average tumor size in the cPMBC group was larger than that in the MMBC group (p = 0.014).ConclusionMUMPC showed a non-circumscribed margin and invasive growth more frequently than cPMBC did. Lymphatic metastasis was more likely to occur in MUMPC than cPMBC. Ultrasound is helpful to distinguish MUMPC from cPMBC.

Role of multi-parametric MRI in the differentiation between mucinous breast carcinoma and fibroadenoma

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to evaluate diagnostic performance of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and functional MRI (diffusion and MR spectroscopy) using the latest MRI breast imaging reporting and data system (MRI-BIRADS) descriptors and non-BIRADS items for differentiation of mucinous breast carcinomas from fibroadenomas.MethodsWe included 19 cases of mucinous breast carcinoma and 37 cases of fibroadenoma. DCE-MRI, Diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) and multi-voxel MR spectroscopy (MRS) were done, MRI-BIRADS (5th edition) analysis of the lesions was performed, and histopathological examination of all cases was done.ResultsAccording to univariate analysis, mucinous carcinoma was frequently detected in older age-group (COR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1–1.7 and p value < 0.001) and had more frequent irregular borders and non-circumscribed margins than fibroadenoma (COR = 11.6, 95% CI = 2–66.4 and p value = 0.002). All mucinous carcinoma had high T2 signal. Fibroadenomas had more frequent homogenous enhancement than mucinous carcinoma; none of the fibroadenomas had rim enhancement nor enhancing internal septations; mucinous carcinoma had more frequent rim enhancement and (n = 6, p value < 0.001) and enhancing internal septations (n = 7, p value < 0.001). Fibroadenoma had frequent dark non-enhancing internal septations than mucinous carcinoma (p value < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, mucinous carcinoma had significant combination of being common in older age, larger in size, with irregular shape, and non-circumscribed margins. On ADC map and MRS, mucinous carcinoma had higher ADC values and higher CHO.SNR than fibroadenoma. The mean ADC value of mucinous carcinoma was 1.3 ± 0.1 × 10−3mm2/s, which was significantly higher than that of fibroadenoma (1.1 ± 0.1 × 10−3mm2/s), with p = 0.002. Also, the mean CHO.SNR was significantly higher in mucinous carcinoma (3.1 ± 0.8) than fibroadenoma (0.8 ± 0.5) with p value < 0.001. According to our results, the presence of type 3 (washout curve), dark internal septations, non-circumscribed margins and irregular shape of the lesion showed the highest sensitivity and accuracy for differentiation of mucinous carcinomas and fibroadenomas (100, 78.6%), (89.4, 82%), (86.5, 80.3%) and (81, 71.4%), respectively.ConclusionThe combined use of DCE-MRI, DW-MRI and MRS with breast MRI-BIRADS descriptors and non-BIRADS items increases the diagnostic accuracy for differentiation of mucinous carcinomas from fibroadenomas.

Oncotype DX 21-gene test has a low recurrence score in both pure and mixed mucinous breast carcinoma.

The Oncotype DX 21-gene test can be used to predict chemotherapy efficacy in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer; however, the data on the 21-gene recurrence score (RS) for mucinous breast carcinoma (MBC) are limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the distribution pattern and clinical value of the 21-gene RS in patients with MBC. A total of 38 pure MBC (PMBC) and 11 mixed MBC (MMBC) cases were retrospectively analyzed, and a total of 29 ER-positive and HER2-negative MBCs underwent the Oncotype DX 21-gene test. There were no statistically significant differences between the PMBCs and MMBCs in age, tumor size and molecular subtype; however, patients with MMBC showed a significantly higher incidence rate of nodal metastases compared with that in patients with PMBC (72.7 vs. 16.2%, respectively). Following surgery, 87.8 and 59.2% of the enrolled patients received endocrine therapy and chemotherapy, respectively. With a median follow-up of 65.6 months, the 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 97.0 and 100.0%, respectively. The 21-gene test revealed that the proportions of patients with MBC categorized into low (RS <18), intermediate (RS ≥18-30) and high (RS ≥30) risk groups were 51.7, 44.8 and 3.5%, respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between the PMBC and MMBC cases. Notably, among the genes in the 21-gene RS testing, the expression levels of cathepsin V, progesterone receptor (PR) and CD68 were significantly higher in the PMBC group compared with that in the MMBC group. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated that patients with MBC had a favorable prognosis, and both PMBC and MMBC cases had a low- and intermediate-risk RS, which suggests that a considerable proportion of patients may be able to avoid chemotherapy. In addition, the high expression level of PR, based on the 21-gene test in PMBCs, indicated that they may have a more favorable response to endocrine therapy than MMBCs.