title: Neuroendocrine breast cancer: retrospective analysis of 96 patients and review of literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Primary neuroendocrine breast carcinomas (NEBC) are uncommon lesions; they constitute approximately 1% of all breast cancers and mostly affect elderly patients. According to the most recent World Health Organization classification, it concerns almost exclusively the female population between the sixth and seventh decades. The aim of this retrospective study is to analyze the clinicopathological aspects of 96 NEBC patients who had undergone surgical resection at a single institute.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed a series of 96 patients who underwent surgical resection for NEBC between January 1992 and August 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 96 patients with NEBC were divided into two categories: 61 (63.5%) in whom the expression of a neuroendocrine marker was present in more than 50% of neoplastic cells and 35 (36.5%) with a minor neuroendocrine component. Our data show a mean age of the patients at diagnosis of 70 years (range 42-87 years); the 10-year survival of the 96 patients was 87%, moreover we report tumor location, type of surgical operation, tumor size (average 2.1 cm), hormone therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy if used, recurrence sites, overall and disease free survival times.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed a better prognosis in patients with NEBC compared with breast carcinomas with a minor neuroendocrine component and with conventional invasive ductal or lobular cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rovera
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lavazza
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomopathology, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: La Rosa
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fachinetti
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiappa
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomopathology, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sessa
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Ospedale di Circolo, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giardina
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Ospedale di Circolo, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gueli
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianlorenzo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dionigi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rausei
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boni
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dionigi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: Breast cancer; Neuroendocrine; Retrospective Survival