Secretory carcinoma of the breast in an elderly woman: report of a case

Cytological and molecular characterization of secretory breast carcinoma

Secretory breast carcinoma is a rare neoplasm, histologically well-characterized, and secondary to ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion, whose cytological features are scarcely described in the literature. We report the case of a woman with a history of secretory breast carcinoma 8 years before, who presented a periareolar nodule. A recurrence was diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration based on the cytomorphological features and pan-TRK immunocytochemistry on the cell block, and the patient underwent a mastectomy. The histology and molecular studies performed on the surgical specimen (immunohistochemistry, FISH and NGS) confirmed the diagnosis. Cytological smears showed abundant epithelial cellularity, in groups and single cells. These cells showed moderate atypia, with abundant cytoplasm. We observed intracytoplasmic inclusions and extracellular metachromatic globules. Immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical studies showed a triple negative breast tumour. NTRK overexpression was demonstrated with immunocytochemistry against pan-TRK on the cell block, as well as with immunohistochemistry in the surgical specimen. NTRK3 rearrangement was proved by FISH. In the primary tumour and in the recurrence, we demonstrated ETV6-NTRK3 fusion by NGS. After conducting a literature review, we have found 26 articles describing the cytological features of secretory breast carcinoma in 33 patients. The smears were described as groups of epithelial cells with vacuolated cytoplasm, single signet ring cells and a globular extracellular secretion. In only two cases molecular confirmation of the diagnosis with ETV6-NTRK3 fusion was proven, although not in the cytological specimen, but in the subsequent biopsy. The distinct cytological features of secretory breast carcinoma can help in its diagnosis, thus guiding the molecular studies. This is the first reported case that proves TRK overexpression, as a fusion surrogate, in the cytological sample.

Secretory Carcinoma in a 79- Year-Old Woman: An Exceptionally Rare Type of Breast Carcinoma

Secretory breast carcinoma is an exceptionally rare mammary gland neoplasia described mainly in adult females and children of both sexes, and very rarely in the elderly. It has particular histopathological and immunohistochemical features and a favorable prognosis. We report the case of a 79-year-old Hispanic woman with a palpable breast mass. Currently, the patient is disease free after a followup period of 6 years without local recurrence or axillary lymph-nodes nor distant metastases.

Secretory Carcinoma of the Breast

We report an elderly case of an indolent breast tumor in a 66-year-old woman. The patient presented with a locally advanced mass in the right breast that was present for 13 years, accompanied by bleeding and ulceration since the last 5 years. She had a modified radical mastectomy with axillary dissection. She was found to have secretory carcinoma with a tumor size of 8 x 4 x 4 cm in diameter. Two out of the 22 removed lymph nodes were involved. The secretory material stained positive with lactalbumin, as well as showed positivity with PAS. The patient received six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy followed by chest wall irradiation. She is disease free with a follow-up period of 24 months. Preoperative chemotherapy should be primarily replaced by curative surgery in such indolent cancers, despite locally advanced disease.

Carcinoma secretor da mama no adulto: existem parâmetros bem definidos para decisão terapêutica?

O carcinoma secretor (CS) da mama é uma neoplasia muito rara. O CS da mama foi inicialmente descrito em crianças e adolescentes, mas a maioria dos casos é descrito em doentes adultos. É muitas vezes associado a um prognóstico particularmente favorável, mas em doentes adultos com tumores de maiores dimensões pode apresentar um comportamento mais agressivo. Apresenta-se um caso de uma doente com 62 anos de idade, que apresentava uma volumosa tumefacção da mama com 16 anos de evolução. O exame objetivo revelou extensa fixação da lesão à pele, com sinais inflamatórios acentuados e áreas de necrose cutânea. O tratamento inicial consistiu numa mastectomia simples, com intenção paliativa. O diagnóstico anatomopatológico de carcinoma secretor (3,5 cm), sem invasão cutânea, motivou a posterior realização de esvaziamento ganglionar axilar, que revelou metástases em 2 dos 13 gânglios isolados. A doente faleceu 24 meses depois, por disseminação da doença, comprovando a maior agressividade do CS em doentes adultos com tumores de maiores dimensões (T2) e com metastização ganglionar (N1). Os autores revêem a literatura com particular ênfase nos factores de prognóstico importantes para decisão terapêutica deste tipo raro de carcinoma da mama, em doentes adultos.