Faculty Bibliography

Cystic hypersecretory carcinoma (CHC) is an uncommon variant of ductal carcinoma in situ characterized by, among other features, the presence of luminal secretion resembling thyroidal colloid. CHC is thought to behave in an indolent manner but has the potential to give rise to invasive carcinoma, which is often poorly differentiated. We studied the immunohistochemical, clinical, and morphologic features of 10 cases of CHC. All patients were women averaging 62.8 years in age (range, 47 to 79 y). The clinical/radiographic presentation was a mass (5/10), calcifications (3/10), bloody nipple discharge (1/10), and unknown (1/10). Microscopic size of CHC ranged from 0.2 to 2.7 cm (mean, 0.9 cm). Micropapillary growth was present in all cases. Nuclear grade was intermediate (5/10) or high (5/10). One case also showed microinvasive carcinoma. All cases arose in a background of cystic hypersecretory hyperplasia (CHH) and/or CHH with atypia. CHC was ER in 8/10 cases (ER+/PR+, 4/10; ER+/PR+, 4/10). Two cases were ER-/PR-, including the case with microinvasive carcinoma. All were HER2-. Androgen receptor was expressed in 3/10 (30%) cases. Myoepithelial stains p63, smooth muscle myosin, and CK5 showed circumferential staining in 9/10 (90%) cases, whereas 1 case was negative for p63, smooth muscle myosin, and CK5 in both CHC and adjacent CHH. Basal-like carcinoma markers EGFR, CK14, and CK5 were negative in all cases, with the exception of 1 case that was positive for EGFR. Four patients with follow-up information showed no evidence of disease (mean, 5.5 y). CHC is a distinct variant of ductal carcinoma in situ that arises in a background of CHH and is characterized by micropapillary growth, intermediate-grade to high-grade nuclei, and luminal colloid-like secretion. CHC is usually ER and HER2-. Negative or discontinuous reactivity with myoepithelial markers may be seen, despite its in situ nature. CHC usually behaves in a nonaggressive manner as was seen in our patients who were all free from disease at last follow-up.

Thanatosomes, a form of degenerative intracellular hyaline globules, have been described in various neoplastic and nonneoplastic disease processes in several organs. These structures are indicative of apoptotic cell death. Herein, we report 2 cases of malignant phylloides tumor, both of which showed numerous thanatosomes-to the point of dominating the histological appearance and masking the stromal element. Our subsequently conducted study showed that thanatosomes were present in 14 of 86 (16.3%) high-grade malignant breast tumors. The structures were identified in 5/25 (20%) malignant phylloides tumors, 4/19 (21.1%) metaplastic spindle cell carcinomas, 3/21 (14.3%) invasive carcinomas s/p neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 2/21 (9.5%) poorly differentiated invasive ductal carcinomas. When present, thanatosomes were typically a rare and focal finding in most types of cases. In malignant phylloides tumors, the structures were relatively more numerous when present. Our study shows that although thanatosomes can be present in several types of malignant breast tumors, they are more common in malignant phylloides tumor. Only rarely, as evident from our 2 index cases, do thanatosomes cause diagnostic difficulty.

BACKGROUND: Tumor microenvironment of metastasis (TMEM), consisting of direct contact between a macrophage, an endothelial cell, and a tumor cell, has been associated with metastasis in both rodent mammary tumors and human breast cancer. We prospectively examined the association between TMEM score and risk of distant metastasis and compared risk associated with TMEM score with that associated with IHC4. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study nested within a cohort of 3760 patients with invasive ductal breast carcinoma diagnosed between 1980 and 2000 and followed through 2010. Case patients were women who developed a subsequent distant metastasis; control subjects were matched (1:1) on age at and calendar year of primary diagnosis. TMEM was assessed by triple immunostain and IHC4 by standard methods; slides were read by pathologists blinded to outcome. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression, adjusted for clinical variables. A Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis was performed, and the area under the curve was estimated. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: TMEM score was associated with increased risk of distant metastasis in estrogen receptor (ER)(+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)(-) tumors (multivariable OR high vs low tertile = 2.70; 95% CI = 1.39 to 5.26; P trend = .004), whereas IHC4 score had a borderline positive association (OR10 unit increase = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.13); the association for TMEM score persisted after adjustment for IHC4 score. The area under the curve for TMEM, adjusted for clinical variables, was 0.78. Neither TMEM score nor IHC4 score was independently associated with metastatic risk overall or in the triple negative or HER2(+) subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: TMEM score predicted risk of distant metastasis in ER(+)/HER2(-) breast cancer independently of IHC4 score and classical clinicopathologic features.

BACKGROUND:Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease which metastasizes readily. The presence of brain metastases from pancreatic cancer is rare and it carries a poor prognosis. Our approach to treating these lesions stresses extensive use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), whereas other reports focus on surgical resection. CASE REPORT/METHODS:Information regarding the patient's clinical history was extracted from a retrospective review of the medical records and imaging studies. The patient survived seven years after his primary diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and 36 months after diagnosis of metastatic disease to the brain. In addition to surgical resection and the use of multiple chemotherapeutic agents, the patient received six separate radiosurgery treatments. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:We present a case of brain metastasis from pancreatic cancer that is remarkable for an unusually long survivorship and discuss the utility of SRS along with a multimodality treatment approach for dealing with these cases.