Solid–papillary carcinoma of the breast: Clinicopathological study of 20 cases

Abstract

The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate the clinicopathological and biological features of 20 Japanese patients with solid-papillary carcinoma of the breast (SPC) or SPC associated with invasive breast cancer. All the patients were Japanese women, including two sisters. The mean age was 66.0 years. The incidence of SPC among all the breast cancers treated at two institutions was 1.1% and 1.7%, respectively. The mean disease-free interval was 4 years 11 months. Axillary lymph node metastasis or tumor recurrence did not occur in any of the cases. Fifteen cases of SPC contained invasive cancers that ranged from <5% to 60% of the entire tumor area. Histological types of invasive cancers were mucinous carcinoma in five cases and neuroendocrine cell carcinoma in 10 cases. These results indicate that SPC is a potential precursor lesion for neuroendocrine carcinoma as well as mucinous carcinoma. When all the cases were classified and analyzed according to both the 2002 tumor node metastasis (TNM) classification system and the Nottingham histological grade, SPC patients, even those with invasive cancers, seemed to have longer disease-free survival compared to patients with the other invasive breast cancers of matching grade and stage. Clinicopathologically, SPC could be regarded as a separate type of ductal carcinoma in situ.

Solid Papillary Carcinoma of the Breast: A Pathologically and Clinically Distinct Breast Tumor

“…1,2,7 CLINICAL FEATURES Solid papillary carcinoma is an uncommon lesion that affects primarily elderly women, with a mean age of 72 years in one series. 1,2,4 However, occasionally this tumor can affect patients younger than 50 years.…”

“…1,2,4 However, occasionally this tumor can affect patients younger than 50 years. 6,7 Rarely, SPC can occur in male patients. 6 Nearly 95% of cases are unilateral, and the majority of tumors arise in the central area of the breast.…”

“…1,2,7,12 Less commonly observed features are organoid pattern, microcystic spaces, foamy macrophages, and microcalcifications. 2,12 Solid papillary carcinomas are composed of monotonous cells with a low to intermediate nuclear grade in the majority of cases.…”

Update on Immunohistochemical Analysis in Breast Lesions

“…Figure 5, I through L, shows an example of SPC with negative CK5 and p63 staining. A study 21 reported that, of 20 SPC cases, at least 10 (50%) expressed one or more neuroendocrine markers. Solid papillary carcinoma should be differentiated from UDH, which is positive for CK5 and CK5/6.…”

Three Synchronous Bilateral Solid Papillary Carcinomas of the Breast with Different Radiologic Findings: A Case Report

“…SPC is a tumor composed of circumscribed nodules of epithelial cells that are typically ovoid or spindle-shaped with low nuclear grade, and it develops predominantly in elderly patients (3). There are few case reports on SPCs and most studies report on pathologic findings in SPC patients (4,5). SPCs are mostly located in the central part of the breast, and 95% of SPCs are present in unilateral breasts (6).…”