Skip to main content
PMC home page
Annals of Surgery logoLink to Annals of Surgery
. 1987 Mar;205(3):295–301. doi: 10.1097/00000658-198703000-00013

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Data from the Connecticut Tumor Registry and a review of the literature.

B E Sumpio, T A Jennings, M J Merino, P D Sullivan
PMCID: PMC1492723  PMID: 3030200

Abstract

The case records of the Connecticut Tumor Registry were reviewed from 1952-1982. There were 37 cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast (ACC) from a total of 40,350 invasive breast tumors. Patient survival, complications, and pathologic sections were reviewed. Only 14 of 27 surgical pathology slides available for review could be confirmed histologically as ACC. All patients were white females with a mean age of 64 years. The tumor remained localized to the breast in all cases. Nine patients had either radical or modified radical mastectomy, four patients had either simple mastectomy or lumpectomy, and one patient refused treatment. There was no evidence of axillary node involvement, metastases, or local recurrence after excision. At the time of follow-up, nine patients were alive and disease free and four died of disease unrelated to their breast cancer. The one patient who died of breast cancer had a radical mastectomy and survived 11.7 years after diagnosis. It is concluded that ACC has a favorable biologic behavior characterized by a prolonged clinical course and good prognosis. Simple mastectomy is all that is required as initial treatment, and a chest x-ray and thorough physical examination looking for local recurrence is all that is needed for follow-up.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

297Fig. 1.
on p.297
297Fig. 2.
on p.297
298Fig. 3.
on p.298
300Fig. 4.
on p.300
300Fig. 5.
on p.300

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anthony P. P., James P. D. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast: prevalence, diagnostic criteria, and histogenesis. J Clin Pathol. 1975 Aug;28(8):647–655. doi: 10.1136/jcp.28.8.647. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cammoun H., Contesso G., Rouëssé J. Les adénocarcinomes cylindromateux du sein. Ann Anat Pathol (Paris) 1972 Apr-Jun;17(2):143–154. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cavanzo F. J., Taylor H. B. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. An analysis of 21 cases. Cancer. 1969 Oct;24(4):740–745. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(196910)24:4<740::aid-cncr2820240412>3.0.co;2-h. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. EUFEMIO G., VILLAFLOR V. V. ADENOID CYSTIC CARCINOMA (CYLINDROMA) OF BREAST. Acta Med Philipp. 1965 Apr-Jun;1:212–214. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Elsner B. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Review of the literature and clinico-pathologic study of seven patients. Pathol Eur. 1970;5(3):357–364. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Friedman B. A., Oberman H. A. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Am J Clin Pathol. 1970 Jul;54(1):1–14. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/54.1.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Galloway J. R., Woolner L. B., Clagett O. T. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1966 Jun;122(6):1289–1294. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Groshong L. E. Adenocystic carcinoma of the breast. Arch Surg. 1966 Mar;92(3):424–427. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1966.01320210104023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Harris M. Pseudoadenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1977 Jun;101(6):307–309. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hayes J. A., Brooks V. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Arch Surg. 1967 Jan;94(1):134–135. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1967.01330070136026. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hjorth S., Magnusson P. H., Blomquist P. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Report of a case in a male and review of the literature. Acta Chir Scand. 1977;143(3):155–158. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hopkins G. B., Tullis R. H. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Calif Med. 1972 Oct;117(4):9–11. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kern W. H. Morphologic and clinical aspects of estrogen receptors in carcinoma of the breast. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1979 Feb;148(2):240–242. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Koss L. G., Brannan C. D., Ashikari R. Histologic and ultrastructural features of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Cancer. 1970 Dec;26(6):1271–1279. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197012)26:6<1271::aid-cncr2820260614>3.0.co;2-l. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. LEONARDELLI G. B., PIZZETTI F. I cilindromi; contributo alla conoscenza istopatologica istochimica e clinica dei cilindromi e delle neoplasie cilindromatosimili. Arch Ital Otol Rinol Laringol. 1953 May-Jun;64(3):318–346. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lim S. K., Kovi J., Warner O. G. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of breast with metastasis: a case report and review of the literature. J Natl Med Assoc. 1979 Apr;71(4):329–330. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lusted D. Structural and growth patterns of adenoid cystic carcinoma of breast. Am J Clin Pathol. 1970 Sep;54(3):419–425. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/54.3.419. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. McLELLAN P. G., TENNANT R., SAROKHAN J. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast; report of a case with unusual features. Surgery. 1953 Jun;33(6):905–908. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. NAYER H. R. Case report section; cylindroma of the breast with pulmonary metastases. Dis Chest. 1957 Mar;31(3):324–327. doi: 10.1378/chest.31.3.324. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. O'KELL R. T. ADENOID CYSTIC CARCINOMA OF THE BREAST. Mo Med. 1964 Oct;61:855–858. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Peters G. N., Wolff M. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Report of 11 new cases: review of the literature and discussion of biological behavior. Cancer. 1983 Aug 15;52(4):680–686. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19830815)52:4<680::aid-cncr2820520420>3.0.co;2-e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Qizilbash A. H., Patterson M. C., Oliveira K. F. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Light and electron microscopy and a brief review of the literature. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1977 Jun;101(6):302–306. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Raimondi E., Gallippi G. B. Sul cilindroma della mammella e gli aspetti cilindromatosi in varie mastopatie. Arch De Vecchi Anat Patol. 1966 Jun;47(2):361–373. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Steinman A., Pepus M., McSwain G. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. South Med J. 1978 Jul;71(7):851–854. doi: 10.1097/00007611-197807000-00028. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Verani R. R., Van der Bel-Kahn J. Mammary adenoid cystic carcinoma with unusual features. Am J Clin Pathol. 1973 May;59(5):653–658. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/59.5.653. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Weitzner S., Chaney G. C., Bass H. L. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of breast: report of a case and review of the literature. Am Surg. 1970 Sep;36(9):571–574. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Weitzner S., Chaney G. C., Bass H. L. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of breast: report of a case and review of the literature. Am Surg. 1970 Sep;36(9):571–574. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wilson W. B., Spell J. P. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of breast: a case with recurrence and regional metastasis. Ann Surg. 1967 Nov;166(5):861–864. doi: 10.1097/00000658-196711000-00021. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Woyke S., Domagala W., Olszewski W. Fine structure of mammary adenoid cystic carcinoma. Pol Med J. 1970;9(5):1140–1148. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Annals of Surgery are provided here courtesy of Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins

RESOURCES