A rare case of primary breast angiosarcoma in a male: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Sarcomas account for less than 1% of primary breast cancers, and breast angiosarcomas are responsible for only 0.05% of all breast malignancies. The male breast has the same potential for malignant transformation as the female breast. However, due to anatomical differences in the breast and the low incidence of angiosarcoma, it is difficult to determine how male breasts can be affected by this type of tumor. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital with a palpable lump in his right breast. Lymphadenopathy was negative. Ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic mass with partially defined contours, measuring 4.0 × 3.0 cm, with muscle infiltration. Histological examination revealed a malignant tumor. Radical mastectomy was then performed with clear surgical margins. The patient began chemotherapy with paclitaxel. Following the second cycle of chemotherapy, he presented with headache and seizures due to a frontal lobe metastasis. Twenty days after the onset of neurological symptoms, the patient died. CONCLUSIONS: Primary angiosarcomas of the male breast are extremely rare. This is the sixth case published in the literature. It is in agreement with other studies in the literature concerning clinical presentation and poor prognosis. Treatment consists in surgical removal of the tumor with clear margins and without axillary lymphadenectomy.

Ki-67 and Bcl-2 antigen expression in adenomatous colorectal polyps from women with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate Ki-67 and Bcl-2 antigen expression in colorectal polyps from women with breast cancer. METHODS: A randomized, controlled study was carried out in 35 women, either with or without breast cancer, who had adenomatous colorectal polyps. The patients were divided into two groups: group A (without breast cancer; control group; n = 17) and group B (with breast cancer; study group; n = 18). Immunohistochemistry was performed on the colorectal polyps to evaluate Ki-67 and Bcl-2 antigen expression. Student's t-test and the chi(2) test were used for the statistical analysis of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 expression, respectively. Statistical significance was established as P < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean percentage of Ki-67-stained nuclei in groups A and B was 36.25 +/- 2.31 and 59.44 +/- 3.34 (+/- SEM), respectively (P < 0.0001), while the percentage of cases with cells expressing Bcl-2 in groups A and B was 23.5 and 77.8%, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, there was greater proliferative activity and greater expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 in the colorectal polyps of women with breast cancer.