Medullary breast carcinoma

Medullary breast carcinoma is a rare type of breast cancer[1] that often can be treated successfully. It is relatively circumscribed.[2]

Medullary carcinoma of the breast
SpecialtyOncology, pathology

It involves infiltration by lymphocyte[3] (a type of white blood cell) in and around the tumor that can be seen when viewed under a microscope.

This is the only breast cancer associated with a loss of function mutation in BRCA1, and thus the only form associated with a hereditary mutation. It is typically triple-negative and exhibits upregulation of p53.

This is one of five types of epithelial breast cancer: ductal, lobular, medullary, colloid, and tubular.

DCIS is less commonly present, and medullary breast cancer tends to have a pushing, rather than infiltrative, border. The tumour presents as a soft, fleshy mass with a pushing border. Tumours commonly possess mutations of E-cadherin, which results in its overexpression. Strengthened adhesions between tumour cells reduce the frequency of metastasis.

On histopathology, medullary breast carcinoma is characterized by groups of tumor cells with syncytial appearance (that is, seemingly fused cytoplasms, at left). There is typically also a lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltrate (right).[4]

References
  1. Tominaga J, Hama H, Kimura N, Takahashi S (March 2008). "MR imaging of medullary carcinoma of the breast". Eur J Radiol. 70 (3): 525–9. doi:10.1016/j.ejrad.2008.01.044. PMID 18353587.
  2. Bacus SS, Zelnick CR, Chin DM, et al. (December 1994). "Medullary carcinoma is associated with expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1. Implication to its morphology and its clinical behavior". Am. J. Pathol. 145 (6): 1337–48. PMC 1887499. PMID 7992839.
  3. Kuroda H, Tamaru J, Sakamoto G, Ohnisi K, Itoyama S (January 2005). "Immunophenotype of lymphocytic infiltration in medullary carcinoma of the breast". Virchows Arch. 446 (1): 10–4. doi:10.1007/s00428-004-1143-9. PMID 15660281.
  4. Netra SM, Vani BR, Murthy VS (2018). "Cytomorphological Study of Medullary Carcinoma of Breast in Comparison to Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma". J Cytol. 35 (4): 195–198. doi:10.4103/JOC.JOC_160_17. PMC 6210819. PMID 30498288.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

 This article incorporates public domain material from the U.S. National Cancer Institute document: "Dictionary of Cancer Terms".

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