Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast in the United States (1977 to 2006): a population-based cohort study

Abstract

IntroductionAdenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast (breast-ACC) is a rare and special type of basal-like tumor for which scant population-based descriptive data exist. We sought to provide new population-based information on breast-ACC incidence, relative survival, and associated cancer risk in the United States.MethodsUsing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program, we calculated age-adjusted incidence rates (IRs), IR ratios (IRRs), and relative survival for breast-ACC, and standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for other cancers.ResultsOverall 338 women (IR = 0.92/1 million person-years) were diagnosed with breast-ACC during 1977 to 2006. Blacks had 39% lower IRs than Whites (IRR = 0.61, 95% confidence interval = 0.37 to 0.96), and IRs remained constant over the 30-year period. Ninety-five percent of cases presented with localized stage (n = 320; IR = 0.87), and the highest IRs were observed for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative/progesterone receptor (PR)-negative tumors (IR = 0.56). Like other typically ER-negative tumors, age-specific IRs increased until midlife and then plateaued. Five-year, 10-year, and 15-year relative survival was 98.1%, 94.9%, and 91.4%, respectively. The risk of female breast cancer was not increased following (SIR = 0.89, 95% confidence interval = 0.43 to 1.64) or preceding (SIR = 0.71, 95% confidence interval = 0.28 to 1.46) breast-ACC. Similarly, no association was observed for breast-ACC and risk of all other cancers combined, solid tumors, or lymphohematopoietic malignancies.ConclusionsBreast-ACC among women is characterized by ER-negative/PR-negative expression, rare regional lymph node involvement, a favorable prognosis with excellent survival, and absence of associated cancers. These findings reinforce the importance of tailored treatments for breast-ACC and lend credence to the apparent heterogeneity of basal-like breast cancers.

Rare imaging appearance of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast: A case report

“…Geschickter and Copeland referred to this tumor as 'adenocystic basal cell cancer of the breast' in 1945, acknowledging its eccrine gland origin and slow growth (10). ACC of the breast is a particularly rare tumor, comprising <0.1% of all breast malignancies (6), and it occurs mainly in women during their fifth and sixth decades of life (11). Consistent with the current literature, our patient was 66-year-old.…”

Current Status and Progress of Breast Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

“…338 cases of breast adenoid cystic carcinoma in the past 30 years were analyzed, and the age-adjusted incidence rate was determined to be 0.92 / 100 million person / year. Blacks were 39 percent less likely than whites' morbidity (Ghabach et al, 2010). Most cases are female, but occasionally there are male cases reported (Tang et al, 2015), and domestic literatures report less.…”

Multifocal adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast: not always a quiet course

“…The commonest presenting complaint in an ACC is a painful lump of long duration [1]. Examples of multifocal ACC are extremely rare.…”

“…Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the breast is uncommon, with a frequency of 1 case/ million female years, with a reported less aggressive course [1] than in ACC of other body parts [2]. Hereby, we report a case of multifocal grade 1 ACC of the breast which metastasized.…”