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Angiosarcoma after breast‐conserving therapy: Fine‐needle aspiration biopsy, immunocytochemistry, and clinicopathologic correlates
Author(s) -
Gherardi Giorgio,
Rossi Stefania,
Perrone Silvia,
Scanni Alberto
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
cancer cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.21035
Subject(s) - medicine , angiosarcoma , breast carcinoma , biopsy , fine needle aspiration , malignancy , pathology , carcinoma , histopathology , radiology , mastectomy , breast cancer , hemangiosarcoma , metastatic carcinoma , metaplastic carcinoma , cancer
BACKGROUND Angiosarcoma that arises after breast‐conserving therapy can present clinically as a cutaneous and/or subcutaneous breast lump, which is misinterpreted easily as a recurrence of carcinoma. To the authors' knowledge, the role of fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in the early diagnosis of this life‐threatening complication of breast carcinoma therapy has not been established fully. METHODS The authors studied three new patients with this type of secondary angiosarcoma diagnosed by FNA biopsy and immunocytochemistry, reviewed the literature on the topic, and examined relevant differential diagnostic issues. RESULTS Patients presented with a discrete skin lump that had arisen several years after breast‐conservative therapy for early‐stage breast carcinoma near the scar from the previous surgery. The lesions were interpreted clinically as recurrent carcinoma. FNA yielded moderately cellular to highly cellular samples with variable patterns of cellular aggregation. Cells were epithelioid and spindle‐shaped. Angioformative changes were subtle, and the overall picture suggested an epithelial malignancy, possibly a metaplastic carcinoma. Immunostaining of smears, however, provided conclusive evidence of the endothelial differentiation of tumor cells, and an FNA diagnosis of angiosarcoma was rendered in all patients. The histopathology of all surgically excised tumors confirmed the diagnosis of high‐grade angiosarcoma. CONCLUSIONS Based on the authors' experience, the FNA cytologic appearance of angiosarcoma that presented as a breast skin nodule in a breast carcinoma survivor easily could have been misinterpreted as carcinoma. A correct diagnosis of this tumor relies on the proper evaluation of clinical findings and, as also shown by a review of the literature, requires immunocytochemical evidence of endothelial differentiation. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.