title: Postradiation cutaneous vascular tumors of the breast: a review.
abstract: Postradiation vascular tumors fall into two categories: (1) postradiation cutaneous angiosarcoma, malignant vascular neoplasms with significant morbidity and mortality; and (2) atypical vascular lesions (AVL), vascular tumors that reportedly behave in a benign manner. Postradiation vascular tumors not only present a therapeutic problem for clinicians, but they present an increasingly common diagnostic dilemma for pathologists. Although first described separately 15 years ago, the relationship between postradiation cutaneous angiosarcoma and AVL remains controversial. It appears that, in at least some cases, angiosarcoma can arise in the context of AVL, suggesting that these lesions are part of a spectrum of the same disease process. This latter view point is supported by the significant clinical and histologic overlap found between both tumors. Herein, we will discuss the evolution of this topic while reviewing the various clinical, histopathologic, and prognostic characteristics of postradiation cutaneous angiosarcoma and AVL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomic Pathology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Billings
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery