Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast, 20 years of experience in a single center with review of literature

Background Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the breast is a rare type of breast cancer, which presents inconsistencies in the optimal management strategy. Methods A retrospective review of prospectively collected data, spanning the last 20 years, was performed using the cancer registry database at our institution. Results Six patients were diagnosed with ACC of the breast, out of 5,813 total patients diagnosed with breast cancer (0.1%). Our identified patients had a median age of 66, all with the early stage cancer (Stage I/II). The average size of the breast lesion was 1.62 cm, and nodal status was negative for all cases. All patients had resection as primary therapy (partial or total mastectomy), with one patient also undergoing external beam radiation and tamoxifen hormonal therapy. Median follow-up was 85 months, with all patients being disease-free at last follow-up. Conclusions ACC of the breast has an indolent course, despite triple negative status. Our study suggests that radiation may not be warranted and confirms the rarity of axillary node metastases, indicating that sentinel node excision may also not be necessary. Ultimately, the hope is that our findings along with the reviewed literature will aid in determining the most appropriate options for management of ACC of the breast.