Solid neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast: metastases or primary tumors?

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2010 Nov;124(2):413-7. doi: 10.1007/s10549-010-1178-3. Epub 2010 Sep 25.

Abstract

Neuroendocrine breast carcinomas are rare but may represent either metastatic or primary lesions. So far, clinical and preoperative histopathological examinations do not distinguish properly between a primary or metastatic breast tumor. Due to any possible consequences following an appropriate treatment, markers which may be helpful for such a distinguishment are needed. We addressed this study in order to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of GCDFP-15 and mammaglobin in a subset of pure neuroendocrine breast carcinomas (n = 9) and compared the expression profile with a cohort of non-mammary neuroendocrine tumors (n = 99). We observed in our study that solid neuroendocrine breast carcinomas are characterized by the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors as well as GCDFP-15 and/or mammaglobin. GCDFP-15 was expressed in 6 out of 9 cases, mammaglobin was positive in 4 out of 9 tumors. In contrast, neuroendocrine tumors of the non-mammary cohort expressed neither GCDFP-15 nor mammaglobin. We conclude that mammaglobin and GCDFP-15 as markers of epithelial breast origin may work as a new and reliable diagnostic tool to distinguish primary endocrine tumors of the breast from a metastatic neuroendocrine disease. This is of utmost importance, especially for surgical management.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / secondary
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / chemistry
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / secondary
  • Carrier Proteins / analysis
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Germany
  • Glycoproteins / analysis
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Middle Aged
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Receptors, Estrogen / analysis
  • Receptors, Progesterone / analysis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Uteroglobin / analysis

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • PIP protein, human
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Uteroglobin