REVIEW

Salivary gland-like tumours of the breast: surgical and molecular pathology

M Pia-Foschini¹, J S Reis-Filho², V Eusebi¹ and S R Lakhani³

¹ Department of Pathology, University of Bologna, at Ospedale Bellaria, Bologna, I-40139 Italy
² The Breakthrough Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Mary-Jean Mitchell Green Building, Chester Beatty Laboratories, London SW3 6JB, UK
³ The Department of Anatomic Pathology, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London SW3 6JJ, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor S R Lakhani, The Breakthrough Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Mary-Jean Mitchell Green Building, Chester Beatty Laboratories, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, UK;
lakhani{at}icr.ac.uk

Breast glands and salivary glands are tubulo-acinar exocrine glands that can manifest as tumours with similar morphological features, but that differ in incidence and clinical behaviour depending on whether they are primary in breast or salivary glands. Salivary gland-like tumours of the breast are of two types: tumours with myoepithelial differentiation and those devoid of myoepithelial differentiation. The first and more numerous group comprises a spectrum of lesions ranging from "bona fide" benign (such as benign myoepithelioma and pleomorphic adenoma), to low grade malignant (such as adenoid cystic carcinoma, low grade adenosquamous carcinoma, and adenomyoepithelioma), to high grade malignant lesions (malignant myoepithelioma). The second group comprises lesions that have only recently been recognised, such as acinic cell carcinoma, oncocytic carcinoma of the breast, and the rare mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Keywords: myoepithelioma; malignant myoepithelioma; pleomorphic adenoma; low grade adenosquamous carcinoma; acinic cell carcinoma

Abbreviations: AA, apocrine adenosis; ACC, adenoid cystic carcinoma; AcCC, acinic cell carcinoma; AdCC, adenoid cystic carcinoma; AME, adenomyoepithelioma; CK, cytokeratin; EMA, epithelial membrane antigen; HMG, high mobility group; LGASC, low grade adenosquamous carcinoma; MEC, mucoepidermoid carcinoma; MM, malignant myoepithelioma; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase; OC, oncocytic carcinoma; PA, pleomorphic adenoma; PAS, periodic acid Schiff; SMA, smooth muscle actin

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