title: Molecular cytogenetic characterization of mammary neuroendocrine carcinoma.
abstract: Primary mammary neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is an uncommon entity that accounts for 2% to 5% of breast carcinomas. Recent reports have shown that NEC of the breast is an aggressive subtype of mammary carcinoma that is distinct from invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified, and have suggested that these tumors have a poorer prognosis than invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified. In this study, we provide the first cytogenetic characterization of mammary NEC using both conventional G-banding and spectral karyotype on a group of 7 tumors. We identified clonal chromosomal aberrations in 5 (71.4%) cases, with 4 of them showing complex karyotypes. Of these, recurrent numerical aberrations included gain of chromosome 7 (n = 2) and loss of chromosome 15 (n = 2). Recurrent clonal structural chromosomal aberrations involved chromosomes 1 (n = 3), 3 (n = 2), 6q (n = 3), and 17q (n = 3). Of the 4 (57.1%) cases with complex karyotypes, 2 showed evidence of chromothripsis, a phenomenon in which tens to hundreds of genomic rearrangements occur in a one-off cellular crisis. One of these had evidence of chromothripsis involving chromosomes 1, 6, 8, and 15. The other also had evidence of chromosome 8 chromothripsis, making this a recurrent finding shared by both cases. We also found that mammary NEC shared some cytogenetic abnormalities--such as trisomy 7 and 12--with other neuroendocrine tumors in the lung and gastrointestinal tract, suggesting trisomy 7 and 12 as potential common molecular aberrations in neuroendocrine tumors. To our knowledge, this is the first report on molecular cytogenetic characterization of mammary NEC.
authors: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030; Cancer Center, Jiangjin Central Hospital, Chongqing, China 402260.
authors: De-Bing
authors: DB
authors: Xiang
authors: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China 610041.
authors: Bing
authors: B
authors: Wei
authors: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Susan C
authors: SC
authors: Abraham
authors: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Huo
authors: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Constance T
authors: CT
authors: Albarracin
authors: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Gildy
authors: G
authors: Babiera
authors: Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Abigail S
authors: AS
authors: Caudle
authors: Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Catherine L
authors: CL
authors: Akay
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Molecular and Cytogenetics Laboratory, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Pulivarthi
authors: P
authors: Rao
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Molecular and Cytogenetics Laboratory, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Yi-Jue
authors: YJ
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Molecular and Cytogenetics Laboratory, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030; Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030.
authors: Xinyan
authors: X
authors: Lu
authors: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030. Electronic address: yunwu@mdanderson.org.
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002871:Chromosome Banding / Q000379:methods; D002881:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12 / Q000235:genetics*; D002897:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007621:Karyotyping / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D014314:Trisomy
keywords: Chromothripsis; FISH; Mammary neuroendocrine carcinoma; Molecular cytogenetics; Spectral karyotype