title: Solid neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast: metastases or primary tumors?
abstract: Neuroendocrine breast carcinomas are rare but may represent either metastatic or primary lesions. So far, clinical and preoperative histopathological examinations do not distinguish properly between a primary or metastatic breast tumor. Due to any possible consequences following an appropriate treatment, markers which may be helpful for such a distinguishment are needed. We addressed this study in order to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of GCDFP-15 and mammaglobin in a subset of pure neuroendocrine breast carcinomas (n = 9) and compared the expression profile with a cohort of non-mammary neuroendocrine tumors (n = 99). We observed in our study that solid neuroendocrine breast carcinomas are characterized by the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors as well as GCDFP-15 and/or mammaglobin. GCDFP-15 was expressed in 6 out of 9 cases, mammaglobin was positive in 4 out of 9 tumors. In contrast, neuroendocrine tumors of the non-mammary cohort expressed neither GCDFP-15 nor mammaglobin. We conclude that mammaglobin and GCDFP-15 as markers of epithelial breast origin may work as a new and reliable diagnostic tool to distinguish primary endocrine tumors of the breast from a metastatic neuroendocrine disease. This is of utmost importance, especially for surgical management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Interdisciplinary Breast Center, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Charité Platz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany. christiane.richter-ehrenstein@charite.de
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richter-Ehrenstein
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: Ann-Christin
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Buckendahl
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eucker
authors.forename: Wilko
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weichert
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasajima
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Aurelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noske
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D005858:Germany; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014598:Uteroglobin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C488892:PIP protein, human; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D014598:Uteroglobin