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A case of cytokeratin 20-positive large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast

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Abstract

We report a rare case of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast. A 63-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a firm mass in the right breast. Mammography revealed a high-density mass with specula, and ultrasonography showed a heterogeneous hypoechoic mass with irregular margin and posterior acoustical shadowing. She underwent breast-conserving surgery with axillary lymph node dissection. Histopathologically, the tumor consisted of large cells with polygonal and prominent nuclei and a small amount of eosinophilic cytoplasm, and these cells showed palisading arrangement with fibrous stroma. The tumor cells were positive for neuroendocrine markers such as NSE, synaptophysin, CD56 (NCAM), but not for chromogranin A. Interestingly, the tumor cells showed reactivity for cytokeratin 20 but not for cytokeratin 7. The immunostaining pattern is different from the usual adenocarcinoma of the breast. The patient received postoperative radiotherapy and was given adjuvant chemotherapy. She has remained disease-free for 44 months.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Rei Takahashi for his helpful advice and technical support. A summary of this case report was presented at the 15th Congress of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society in Yokohama on 30th June, 2007.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

    Kae Okoshi, Shigeo Hisamori & Keiko Iwaisako

  2. Department of Pathology, Otsu Red Cross Hospital, 1-1-35 Nagara, Otsu, Shiga, 520-8511, Japan

    Tatsuyoshi Saiga

  3. Department of Radiology, Otsu Red Cross Hospital, 1-1-35 Nagara, Otsu, Shiga, 520-8511, Japan

    Hisato Kobayashi

  4. Department of Surgery, Otsu Red Cross Hospital, 1-1-35 Nagara, Otsu, Shiga, 520-8511, Japan

    Hiroki Ogawa

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  1. Kae Okoshi
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  2. Tatsuyoshi Saiga
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  3. Shigeo Hisamori
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  4. Keiko Iwaisako
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  5. Hisato Kobayashi
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  6. Hiroki Ogawa
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Correspondence to Kae Okoshi.

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Okoshi, K., Saiga, T., Hisamori, S. et al. A case of cytokeratin 20-positive large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast. Breast Cancer 19, 360–364 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-009-0160-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-009-0160-6

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