These data indicate that decreased expression of TGFbeta-RII may contribute to breast cancer progression and is related to a more aggressive phenotype in both in-situ and invasive carcinomas.

ACC of the breast is characterized by the presence of two types of intercellular lumens, one conserving basolateral markers of normal polarity (epithelial) with the other containing basement membrane material (abutted by myoepithelial cells). Dominance of VM staining may be a hallmark of ACC, along with maintained epithelial and myoeithelial compartments. This status of advanced, normal differentiation despite local invasion may be responsible for lack of distant metastasis.