A Case Report of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Breast- So Close Yet So Far from Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Androgen Receptor Expression in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of Breast: A Subset of Seven Cases

Objective

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the breast is an uncommon salivary type of breast carcinoma. It is a triple negative breast carcinoma with a basal-like phenotype that behaves in an indolent manner. Herein, we aimed to document clinicopathologic findings and hormone receptor status of ACC in the breast diagnosed in our institution during an eleven-year period.

Materials and Methods

Medical data of cases diagnosed as adenoid cystic carcinoma in the breast between January 2006 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed from hospital data base. Paraffin blocks of seven cases were retrieved from the archive of Pathology Department and androgen receptor (AR) immunohistochemistry was applied to each case.

Results

All of the cases diagnosed as ACC were females with a mean age 56.2. Solid growth pattern was present in two cases. P63 was constantly expressed in the whole group, and at least one additional myoepithelial marker (calponin, caldesmon, etc.) was co-expressed in tumors. While weak estrogen receptor expression was detected only in one patient, AR was strikingly expressed in majority (%85.7) of the tumors.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, our series is the first to report such high levels of AR expression. This new finding, in turn, suggests considering hormonal therapy as an option in the management of ACC of the breast.