Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast report of 11 new cases: Review of the literature and discussion of biological behavior

Eleven new cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast are added to the 95 previously reported. They were studied for their biological behavior, and an attempt was made to correlate histologic features with prognosis. A comparison was made with analogous tumors in extramammary sites, and possible relationship with carcinoid tumors of the breast explored. The patients in the study followed a biological course very similar to that described by previous studies, i.e., slow progression, local recurrence if inadequately resected, and absence of lymph node metastases. Only one patient developed distant metastases after an interval of ten years following radical mastectomy. If the diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma is reserved for those lesions displaying the distinctive appearance and typical epithelial-stromal relationships which have been described, the authors feel that simple mastectomy with careful follow-up surveillance is the treatment of choice.