Primary angiosarcoma of the breast: observations in Asian Indian women.
BACKGROUND
Primary angiosarcomas of breast are rare tumors, with a fatal outcome.


METHODS
We studied histological prognostic factors and c-kit expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 12 angiosarcomas accessioned at a cancer referral center in India.


RESULTS
All patients had primary angiosarcoma; no case of secondary angiosarcoma was accessioned during the study period. Median age of patients was 24.5 years. Nine patients had intermediate grade tumors, one a well differentiated tumor and three patients had high-grade tumors. Interesting cases encountered included an epithelioid angiosarcoma and an angiosarcoma arising on the background of a biphasic tumor. Eight patients had lumpectomy, four mastectomy and two patients were given radiotherapy. Of the nine patients (seven type I/II and two high grade) with follow up, eight patients developed disseminated metastases within a year of presentation. The patient with well-differentiated angiosarcoma also died of metastasis albeit after a longer time. On IHC c-kit staining was weakly seen in two cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary angiosarcoma was fatal in young Indian women even in lower grade tumors. The low expression of c-kit on IHC suggests that targeting this protein for therapy may not be successful in treating these tumors.
Shet
Tanuja
T
Department of Pathology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India. tanujashet@yahoo.com
Malaviya
Alopa
A
Nadkarni
Mandar
M
Kakade
Anagha
A
Parmar
Vani
V
Badwe
Rajan
R
Chinoy
Roshni
R
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit