SECRETORY CARCINOMA OF THE BREAST IN AN ADULT WOMAN

A 40-year-old woman was operated on for a lump, 1.0×2.0 cm, in the left breast under a presumptive preoperative diagnosis of either fibroadenoma or intraductal papilloma. The pathological examination of the specimen obtained by the local excision disclosed typical features of secretory carcinoma; the tubuloalveolar arrangement of atypical epithelia with the active secretory activity of PAS and alcian blue staining positive material. A modified radical mastectomy was recommended, the final state of the lesion being t1, n0, f, ly0, v0, M0, stage 1. Secretory carcinoma or juvenile carcinoma, is a rare condition, and only 88 cases could be collected from English and Japanese literature since the day of the introduction of such a category of the disease in 1966. Lymph node metastasis was confirmed in 14 out of 38 cases systematically examined. Mere local resection of the lesion resulted in local recurrence among 8 out of 13 cases thus treated. Consequently, the authors are of the opinion that modified radical mastectomy, at least, with dissection of axillary lymph nodes is necessary to treat the lesion. One should not be confused by the prejudice as if the lesion were benign.