A case of primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast

• Published in: Nihon Rinsho Geka Gakkai Zasshi (Journal of Japan Surgical Association) Vol. 73; no. 6; pp. 1355 - 1360
• Main Authors: MATSUZAWA, Fumihiko, YAMAMOTO, Mitsugu, HOSODA, Mitsuchika, TAGUCHI, Kazunori, TAKAHASHI, Hiromasa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Japan Surgical Association 2012
• Subjects: carcinoma of the breast; Chromogranin A; neuroendocrine carcinoma
• ISSN: 1345-2843; 1882-5133
• DOI: 10.3919/jjsa.73.1355

We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who was diagnosed with solid neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast. She noticed an elastic hard mass of 30 mm in diameter in the right breast. Mammography revealed a microlobulated mass with segmental calcifications and ultrasonography also revealed a well-defined mass with rough margin and high internal echo spots correspondent to calcifications. The ultrasonography-guided Mammotome® biopsy was performed for the histological diagnosis and the mass turned out to be a solid neuroendocrine carcinoma that showed positive immunohistochemical staining of Chromogranin A, Synaptophysin and CD56 according to WHO Classification. Total mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy were performed. Following surgery, we planned to do adjuvant TC (docetaxel and cyclophosphamide) chemotherapy followed by aromatase inhibitor. Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast is relatively rare, only 2-5% of all carcinoma of the breast. This carcinoma is characterized by neuroendocrine granules in the cytoplasm that can be identified with immunohistochemical staining of Chromogranin A and CD56. There is little information about its clinical characteristics, treatment or prognosis and also no consensus for adjuvant chemotherapy or hormone therapy. The collection of data from cases is indispensable for further investigation of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the beast.