[Clinicopathological analyses of accessory breast cancer: a report of 22 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinicopathological characteristics, diagnosis, multi-disciplinary therapy and prognosis of accessory breast cancer.

METHODS: The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed for 22 patients with accessory breast cancer from December 2000 and September 2013.

RESULTS: Three patients underwent breast-conserving local wide excision of tumor plus axillary lymph node dissection while the remainder had Auchincloss or Halsted mastectomy. The most common histological type was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (n = 16, 72%) and one of them was associated with mucous adenocarcinoma. There were carcinoma simplex (n = 1), papillary adenocarcinoma (n = 1) and adenocarcinoma (n = 4). The most common pathological stages (according to AJCC Staging of Breast Cancer, 2002, 6th edition) were II (n = 15, 68%),I(n = 3), III (n = 4) and IV (n = 0). The median follow-up period was 3 (1-14) years. And the follow-up rate was 100%.Until October 2014, 2 patients died from metastasis and the remainder survived.

CONCLUSIONS: Accessory breast cancer is rare and has a worse prognosis.Now the clinical diagnostic criteria to it remains controversial and the diagnosis is often late. A definite diagnosis is made on the basis of clinical characteristics, postoperative pathology and imaging examinations. And surgery remains a major option.