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CASE REPORT article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Breast Cancer
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1565175
This article is part of the Research Topic The Essential Role of Multidisciplinary Teams in Breast Cancer Surgery: Collaboration for Superior Patient Outcomes View all 3 articles
Solid Subtype of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Breast with Multiple Distant Metastases: A Case Report and Literature Review
Provisionally accepted- 1 Department of Ultrasonography, The Hunan Province Directly Affiliated TCM Hospital, Zhuzhou, China
- 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou, China
- 3 Department of Cardiology, Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou, China
- 4 Department of Breast Surgery, Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou, China
- 5 Department of Pathology, Peking University People's Hospital Qingdao Hospital, qingdao, China
Objective: To present a rare case of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast (ACCB), solid subtype, with multiple distant metastases, and to analyze its clinical management and differentiation from typical triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), highlighting the lack of standardized guidelines for this rare entity and providing insights for future therapeutic strategies. Methods: A 46-year-old female with ACCB was followed for 9 years, documenting metastatic progression, treatment responses, and survival outcomes. A literature review was conducted to compare ACCB and TNBC in terms of clinicopathological features, immunohistochemical profiles, metastatic patterns, and therapeutic strategies. Results: The patient exhibited aggressive behavior with metastases to the brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Systemic chemotherapy (albumin-bound paclitaxel and capecitabine) combined with radiotherapy stabilized the disease, achieving a 9-year survival with preserved quality of life. Conclusion: ACCB requires differentiation from TNBC due to its unique biological behavior and favorable prognosis. Breast-conserving surgery with radiotherapy may be preferable for localized disease, while systemic chemotherapy should be considered for metastatic solid subtypes. This case underscores the urgent need for consensus guidelines and further research on molecular profiling to refine therapeutic approaches.
Keywords: Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast, Triple-negative breast cancer, distant metastasis, Treatment, follow-up
Received: 22 Jan 2025; Accepted: 31 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Li, Xue, Huang, An and Tan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Fengxian An, Department of Pathology, Peking University People's Hospital Qingdao Hospital, qingdao, China
Miduo Tan, Department of Breast Surgery, Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou, China
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