Abstract
Metastases to the breast are rare, yet correct identification of a neoplasm as a metastasis is imperative for patient treatment as well as prognosis. Non-hematopoietic, solid-organ metastases to the breast account for approximately 0.2–1.2% of all breast neoplasms. In adults, melanoma is the single most common solid-organ neoplasm to involve the breast, followed by pulmonary and ovarian carcinomas. In the pediatric/adolescent population, metastases to the breast outnumber primary breast neoplasms, with rhabdomyosarcoma being the most common neoplasm to involve the breast. Metastases to the breast present a diagnostic challenge due to the overlapping morphologic features with primary breast carcinoma. Certain histologic features may suggest that a lesion is not a primary breast neoplasm, such as estrogen receptor negativity in a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (suggestive of pulmonary or gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma), psammomatous calcifications in an adenocarcinoma with micropapillary features (suggestive of papillary serous carcinoma), and melanin pigment in a high-grade epithelioid neoplasm (suggestive of melanoma). A thorough clinical history, a clinical workup, and a targeted immunohistochemical panel are often necessary to reach the correct diagnosis.
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | A Comprehensive Guide to Core Needle Biopsies of the Breast, Second Edition |
Publisher | Springer International Publishing |
Pages | 917-948 |
Number of pages | 32 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9783031055324 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783031055317 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2022 |
Keywords
- Metastasis
- Metastatic carcinoma
- Metastatic melanoma
- Metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma
- Metastatic sarcoma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology