Mucinous carcinoma of the breast: A pathologic study of 82 cases

Abstract

A series of 82 consecutive cases of mucinous carcinomas of the female breast was investigated for their clinical, morphological, and histochemical features and for the influence of some tumor characteristics on its prognosis. Two groups, a "pure" subtype (n = 58) and a "mixed" subtype (n = 24), were considered, according to the absence or the presence of concomitant areas with typical infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Eighty patients were followed with an average of 7.4 years. The actuarial survival was 58.5% at 10 years. The group of pure mucinous carcinomas showed a statistically significant better prognosis (P = 0.0007) than that of the group of mixed tumors, as well as a lower percentage of axillary nodal metastasis. Tumor dimension of both pure and mixed mucinous carcinomas influenced the prognosis, since patients with T1 tumors had longer survival than those with T2 tumors (P = 0.05) and the latter showed less mortality than T3 tumor cases (P = 0.036). Node-negative patients also had a more favorable outcome with lower mortality than node positive patients (P = 0.007). None of the T1 pure mucinous carcinomas had axillary metastasis, which may have implications for the surgical protocols. The evaluation of quantitative and qualitative content in mucosubstances did not correlate with the prognosis. However, sulfomucins were demonstrated in 30.5% of cases; this fact points to add breast carcinoma to the group of neoplasms that may present as a metastatic sulfomucin-producing adenocarcinoma.

Mucoid breast carcinomas: histology and prognosis

“…This is in agreement with one study which found that when patients were divided into those with pure mucoid, mixed and minimal mucoid component, survival rates were better in those with tumours having a proportionally greater gelatinous element (Melamed et al, 1961). In contrast, another series found no impact on prognosis when patients with tumours containing 50-75% of mucoid component were compared with those having more than 75% (Andre et al, 1995). It has also been suggested that the actual proportion of mucin produced within the tumour may be of prognostic significance (Clayton 1986).…”

“…Rasmussen (1985) also noted that the non-mucoid component often appeared more anaplastic. Probably, as previously suggested, there is a morphological continuum with all mixed tumours starting as pure lesions and the non-mucoid component developing at a later stage (Andre et al, 1995).…”

Fine needle aspiration cytology findings of mucinous carcinoma of breast: a study of eight cases with histological correlation

“…occurs in elderly female median age being older than 55-60 years. [4][5][6] This tumor shows characteristic features of mucin production by the tumor 7 and in general mucinous component is 50% or more. 8,9 In the mixed type tumor, the mucinous component is admixed with infiltrating epithelial component.…”

Pure and Mixed Mucinous Carcinoma of the Breast

“…Müsinöz meme karsinomu nadir görülen bir tip olup meme karsinomlarının %1-6'sını oluşturur (1). Daha çok ileri yaş kadınlarda görülür ve prognozu iyidir (2).…”

“…Daha çok ileri yaş kadınlarda görülür ve prognozu iyidir (2). Makroskopik olarak yumuşak kıvamlı ve iyi sınırlıdır, kesit yüzeyi parlak ve jelatinöz görünümdedir (1). İyi sınırlı olmaları nedeni ile klinik, radyolojik ve makroskopik olarak benign meme lezyonlarını taklit edebilirler (3).…”