ADCIS: DCIS characterized by apocrine cell proliferation; no consensus classification; proposed histologic grading system for ADCIS based on nuclear grade ± comedo-type necrosis
Pure IAC: Architectural growth pattern same as invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), no special type (NST), with apocrine cytologic features (voluminous eosinophilic granular cytoplasm, round nuclei with prominent, often multiple, nucleoli) in all or nearly all (> 90%) of epithelium; not special type of IDC per se
IMAGING
General Features
Mammographic Findings
Ultrasonographic Findings
MR Findings
Imaging Recommendations
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
PATHOLOGY
Staging, Grading, & Classification
Microscopic Features
Molecular Features and Biomarkers
CLINICAL ISSUES
Presentation
Demographics
Natural History & Prognosis
Treatment
DIAGNOSTIC CHECKLIST
Image Interpretation Pearls
Reporting Tips
Selected References
Meattini I et al: Triple negative apocrine carcinomas as a distinct subtype of triple negative breast cancer: A case-control study. Clin Breast Cancer. 18(5):e773-e780, 2018
Oshilaja O et al: Androgen receptors in resected ductal carcinoma in situ of breast: Novel insights with possible implications for testing and targeted endocrine chemoprevention trials. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol. ePub, 2018
Zhao S et al: Clinicopathologic features and prognoses of different histologic types of triple-negative breast cancer: A large population-based analysis. Eur J Surg Oncol. 44(4):420-428, 2018
Chang Sen LQ et al: Upgrade rate and imaging features of atypical apocrine lesions. Breast J. 23(5):569-578, 2017
Kővári B et al: The expression of GHRH and its receptors in breast carcinomas with apocrine differentiation-further evidence of the presence of a GHRH pathway in these tumors. Hum Pathol. 64:164-170, 2017
Seo KJ et al: Apocrine ductal carcinoma in situ presenting as a large, cystic breast mass: An uncommon presentation of a rare breast lesion. Breast J. 23(5):594-595, 2017
Vranic S et al: Apocrine carcinoma of the breast: A brief update on the molecular features and targetable biomarkers. Bosn J Basic Med Sci. 17(1):9-11, 2017
Hou Y et al: Surgical follow-up results for apocrine adenosis and atypical apocrine adenosis diagnosed on breast core biopsy. Ann Diagn Pathol. 24:4-6, 2016
Mills AM et al: Pure apocrine carcinomas represent a clinicopathologically distinct androgen receptor-positive subset of triple-negative breast cancers. Am J Surg Pathol. 40(8):1109-16, 2016
Tajima S et al: Cystic apocrine ductal carcinoma in situ with increased EGFR expression, trisomy 7, and associated focal invasion. Med Mol Morphol. 49(3):170-6, 2016
Gromov P et al: Molecular and diagnostic features of apocrine breast lesions. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 15(8):1011-22, 2015
Seo KJ et al: Sonography of Invasive Apocrine Carcinoma of the Breast in Five Cases. Korean J Radiol. 16(5):1006-11, 2015
Calhoun BC et al: Atypical apocrine adenosis diagnosed on breast core biopsy: implications for management. Hum Pathol. ePub, 2014
Dellapasqua S et al: Immunohistochemically defined subtypes and outcome of apocrine breast cancer. Clin Breast Cancer. 13(2):95-102, 2013
Dreyer G et al: Triple negative breast cancer: clinical characteristics in the different histological subtypes. Breast. 22(5):761-6, 2013
Montagna E et al: Heterogeneity of triple-negative breast cancer: histologic subtyping to inform the outcome. Clin Breast Cancer. 13(1):31-9, 2013
Vranic S et al: Apocrine carcinoma of the breast: a comprehensive review. Histol Histopathol. 28(11):1393-409, 2013
Cha YJ et al: The clinicopathologic features of molecular apocrine breast cancer. Korean J Pathol. 46(2):169-76, 2012
Choi J et al: Clinicopathologic features of molecular subtypes of triple negative breast cancer based on immunohistochemical markers. Histol Histopathol. 27(11):1481-93, 2012
Gerhard R et al: Benign and malignant apocrine lesions of the breast. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 12(2):215-21, 2012
Nagao T et al: The differences in the histological types of breast cancer and the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy: the relationship between the outcome and the clinicopathological characteristics. Breast. 21(3):289-95, 2012
Iwase H et al: Clinicopathological analyses of triple negative breast cancer using surveillance data from the Registration Committee of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society. Breast Cancer. 17(2):118-24, 2010
O'Malley FP et al: An update on apocrine lesions of the breast. Histopathology. 52(1):3-10, 2008
Tanaka K et al: Invasive apocrine carcinoma of the breast: clinicopathologic features of 57 patients. Breast J. 14(2):164-8, 2008
Wells CA and El-Ayat GA: Non-operative breast pathology: apocrine lesions. J Clin Pathol. 60:1313-20, 2007
Japaze H et al: 'Pure' invasive apocrine carcinoma of the breast: a new clinicopathological entity? Breast. 14(1):3-10, 2005
Takeuchi H et al: Clinicopathological feature and long-term prognosis of apocrine carcinoma of the breast in Japanese women. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 88(1):49-54, 2004
Leal C et al: Apocrine ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: histologic classification and expression of biologic markers. Hum Pathol. 32(5):487-93, 2001
Matsuo K et al: Apocrine Carcinoma of the Breast: Clinicopathological Analysis and Histological Subclassification of 12 Cases. Breast Cancer. 5(3):279-284, 1998
Gilles R et al: Apocrine carcinoma: clinical and mammographic features. Radiology. 190(2):495-7, 1994
Abati AD et al: Apocrine mammary carcinoma. A clinicopathologic study of 72 cases. Am J Clin Pathol. 94(4):371-7, 1990
Aoyagi H et al: [Ten cases of an apocrine carcinoma of the breast and a review of cases in the Japanese literature.] Gan No Rinsho. 36(6):681-90, 1990
d'Amore ES et al: Invasive apocrine carcinoma of the breast: a long term follow-up study of 34 cases. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 12(1):37-44, 1988
Frable WJ et al: Carcinoma of the breast. Histologic and clinical features of apocrine tumors. Cancer. 21(4):756-63, 1968
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References
Tables
Tables
KEY FACTS
Terminology
Imaging
Pathology
Clinical Issues
Diagnostic Checklist
TERMINOLOGY
Abbreviations
Apocrine ductal carcinoma in situ (ADCIS)
Invasive apocrine carcinoma (IAC)
Definitions
ADCIS: DCIS characterized by apocrine cell proliferation; no consensus classification; proposed histologic grading system for ADCIS based on nuclear grade ± comedo-type necrosis
Pure IAC: Architectural growth pattern same as invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), no special type (NST), with apocrine cytologic features (voluminous eosinophilic granular cytoplasm, round nuclei with prominent, often multiple, nucleoli) in all or nearly all (> 90%) of epithelium; not special type of IDC per se
IMAGING
General Features
Mammographic Findings
Ultrasonographic Findings
MR Findings
Imaging Recommendations
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
PATHOLOGY
Staging, Grading, & Classification
Microscopic Features
Molecular Features and Biomarkers
CLINICAL ISSUES
Presentation
Demographics
Natural History & Prognosis
Treatment
DIAGNOSTIC CHECKLIST
Image Interpretation Pearls
Reporting Tips
Selected References
Meattini I et al: Triple negative apocrine carcinomas as a distinct subtype of triple negative breast cancer: A case-control study. Clin Breast Cancer. 18(5):e773-e780, 2018
Oshilaja O et al: Androgen receptors in resected ductal carcinoma in situ of breast: Novel insights with possible implications for testing and targeted endocrine chemoprevention trials. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol. ePub, 2018
Zhao S et al: Clinicopathologic features and prognoses of different histologic types of triple-negative breast cancer: A large population-based analysis. Eur J Surg Oncol. 44(4):420-428, 2018
Chang Sen LQ et al: Upgrade rate and imaging features of atypical apocrine lesions. Breast J. 23(5):569-578, 2017
Kővári B et al: The expression of GHRH and its receptors in breast carcinomas with apocrine differentiation-further evidence of the presence of a GHRH pathway in these tumors. Hum Pathol. 64:164-170, 2017
Seo KJ et al: Apocrine ductal carcinoma in situ presenting as a large, cystic breast mass: An uncommon presentation of a rare breast lesion. Breast J. 23(5):594-595, 2017
Vranic S et al: Apocrine carcinoma of the breast: A brief update on the molecular features and targetable biomarkers. Bosn J Basic Med Sci. 17(1):9-11, 2017
Hou Y et al: Surgical follow-up results for apocrine adenosis and atypical apocrine adenosis diagnosed on breast core biopsy. Ann Diagn Pathol. 24:4-6, 2016
Mills AM et al: Pure apocrine carcinomas represent a clinicopathologically distinct androgen receptor-positive subset of triple-negative breast cancers. Am J Surg Pathol. 40(8):1109-16, 2016
Tajima S et al: Cystic apocrine ductal carcinoma in situ with increased EGFR expression, trisomy 7, and associated focal invasion. Med Mol Morphol. 49(3):170-6, 2016
Gromov P et al: Molecular and diagnostic features of apocrine breast lesions. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 15(8):1011-22, 2015
Seo KJ et al: Sonography of Invasive Apocrine Carcinoma of the Breast in Five Cases. Korean J Radiol. 16(5):1006-11, 2015
Calhoun BC et al: Atypical apocrine adenosis diagnosed on breast core biopsy: implications for management. Hum Pathol. ePub, 2014
Dellapasqua S et al: Immunohistochemically defined subtypes and outcome of apocrine breast cancer. Clin Breast Cancer. 13(2):95-102, 2013
Dreyer G et al: Triple negative breast cancer: clinical characteristics in the different histological subtypes. Breast. 22(5):761-6, 2013
Montagna E et al: Heterogeneity of triple-negative breast cancer: histologic subtyping to inform the outcome. Clin Breast Cancer. 13(1):31-9, 2013
Vranic S et al: Apocrine carcinoma of the breast: a comprehensive review. Histol Histopathol. 28(11):1393-409, 2013
Cha YJ et al: The clinicopathologic features of molecular apocrine breast cancer. Korean J Pathol. 46(2):169-76, 2012
Choi J et al: Clinicopathologic features of molecular subtypes of triple negative breast cancer based on immunohistochemical markers. Histol Histopathol. 27(11):1481-93, 2012
Gerhard R et al: Benign and malignant apocrine lesions of the breast. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 12(2):215-21, 2012
Nagao T et al: The differences in the histological types of breast cancer and the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy: the relationship between the outcome and the clinicopathological characteristics. Breast. 21(3):289-95, 2012
Iwase H et al: Clinicopathological analyses of triple negative breast cancer using surveillance data from the Registration Committee of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society. Breast Cancer. 17(2):118-24, 2010
O'Malley FP et al: An update on apocrine lesions of the breast. Histopathology. 52(1):3-10, 2008
Tanaka K et al: Invasive apocrine carcinoma of the breast: clinicopathologic features of 57 patients. Breast J. 14(2):164-8, 2008
Wells CA and El-Ayat GA: Non-operative breast pathology: apocrine lesions. J Clin Pathol. 60:1313-20, 2007
Japaze H et al: 'Pure' invasive apocrine carcinoma of the breast: a new clinicopathological entity? Breast. 14(1):3-10, 2005
Takeuchi H et al: Clinicopathological feature and long-term prognosis of apocrine carcinoma of the breast in Japanese women. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 88(1):49-54, 2004
Leal C et al: Apocrine ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: histologic classification and expression of biologic markers. Hum Pathol. 32(5):487-93, 2001
Matsuo K et al: Apocrine Carcinoma of the Breast: Clinicopathological Analysis and Histological Subclassification of 12 Cases. Breast Cancer. 5(3):279-284, 1998
Gilles R et al: Apocrine carcinoma: clinical and mammographic features. Radiology. 190(2):495-7, 1994
Abati AD et al: Apocrine mammary carcinoma. A clinicopathologic study of 72 cases. Am J Clin Pathol. 94(4):371-7, 1990
Aoyagi H et al: [Ten cases of an apocrine carcinoma of the breast and a review of cases in the Japanese literature.] Gan No Rinsho. 36(6):681-90, 1990
d'Amore ES et al: Invasive apocrine carcinoma of the breast: a long term follow-up study of 34 cases. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 12(1):37-44, 1988
Frable WJ et al: Carcinoma of the breast. Histologic and clinical features of apocrine tumors. Cancer. 21(4):756-63, 1968
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