A Case of Adenoid Cystic Breast Carcinoma in a Male Patient

Abstract

A 75-year-old male visited a local dermatologist complaining of a left breast lump that was gradually increasing in size. He was diagnosed with left breast cancer by biopsy and referred to our department for further evaluation and treatment. On thorough examination, the patient was diagnosed with Stage I adenoid cystic carcinoma of the left breast. The patient underwent left breast total mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Postoperative pathological examination revealed pT2N0M0 Stage IIA triple-negative adenoid cystic carcinoma of the left breast. No adjuvant chemotherapy was administered postoperatively and the patient experienced no recurrence in 9 month and 1 year postoperative examinations.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare subtype of breast cancer, often triple-negative, with a favorable prognosis, particularly if there is no axillary lymph node involvement. Adjuvant chemotherapy is typically unnecessary. ACC accounts for approximately 0.1% of all breast cancers, thus reported cases are extremely limited in men. An accumulation of cases is necessary to understand their nature and to evolve treatment strategies. Here, we report our experience with an adenoid cystic carcinoma occurring in the male breast, together with a review of the literature.