Conservative treatment of a rare case of multifocal adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast: case report and literature review.
BACKGROUND
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast is a rare neoplasm accounting for 0.1% of all malignant breast tumors and presenting most commonly as a painful breast mass. Compared with the more common histological forms of breast cancer, it has a more favorable prognosis and lymph node involvement or distant metastases seldom occur.


METHODS
A unique case of multifocal adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast presenting as a painful and well-defined lump and treated with conservative surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy is reported.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no consensus on the optimal management of this disease. A breast-conserving approach may be recommended even if mastectomy has been traditionally the treatment of choice. Chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal therapy have been infrequently used and so far have had no defined role in this kind of neoplasm. The authors found no other reports in the literature focusing on a conservative approach to multifocal adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Franceschini
Gianluca
G
Department of Surgery, Breast Unit, Catholic University, Rome, Italy. gianlucafranceschini@yahoo.it
Terribile
Daniela
D
Scafetta
Ilaria
I
Magno
Stefano
S
Fabbri
Cristina
C
Chiesa
Federica
F
Di Leone
Alba
A
Moschella
Francesca
F
Scaldaferri
Assunta
A
Fragomeni
Simona
S
Vellone
Valerio
V
Mulè
Antonio
A
Masetti
Riccardo
R
D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008327:Mammography; D014463:Ultrasonography