pathology showed neuroendocrine features???

jillyG

I was diagnosed a year ago, have had a mastectomy and chemo etc.  I went today to meet with a genetic counsellor about whether i should be tested for the BRCA1 and BRCA2.  During the meeting she says 'oh, your pathology was very unusual' and that my tumour had 'neuroendocrine features' and she has never seen that before for breast cancer (just what I like to hear).    So, I don't know what to make of it, obviously didn't change my treatment plan because it has never been discussed with me by surgeon or cancer centre.  I'm a year out, so too late now to be too concerned, but I am wondering what that means?  Anybody?????

lexislove

I have never heard of it. I hope someone can answer your question.

Im sorry you are going through cancers mind f*ck a year AFTER being dignosed. I hate this disease.

jrgolomb

yeah, Lexislove- you truly hit the nail on the proverbial (sp) head of the cancer mind F*ck.  

Jilly- I never ever seem to figure out the docspeak- to me it's all gobbleygook!  Hugs to you JJ!

orange1

I had the same thing in my path report.  Apparently, it doesn't mean anything as far as prognosis is concerned.  I found the following abstract when I googled it: 

The prognostic influence of neuroendocrine differentiation in breast cancer: results of a long-term follow-up study
C. van Krimpen^{, , a}, A. Elferink^b, C. A. Broodman^c, W. C. J. Hop^b, A. Pronk^a and M. Menke^c

^a Department of Surgical Pathology, Reinier de Graaf Hospital/Diagnostic Centre SSDZ, P.O. Box 5011, 2600 GA, Delft, The Netherlands

^b Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

^c Department of Surgery, Reinier de Graaf Hospital, Delft, The Netherlands

Received 29 April 2003;  Revised 3 October 2003;  accepted 25 November 2003.  Available online 11 March 2004.

Abstract

Reports about neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation in breast carcinomas and its possible relation with prognosis are scarce. Furthermore the results of some studies have not been subjected to multivariate survival analysis and the follow-up periods were relatively short. Therefore, in the present long-term follow-up study, the prognostic influence of immunohistochemically defined NE cells, present in the tumours of 40 out of 317 (12.6%) curatively operated breast cancer patients, was studied. The mean follow-up period was 104 months. NE differentiation (NED) was determined by the immunohistochemical detection of chromogranin A and/or synaptophysin. This is concordant with other studies focussing on NED in breast cancer. In contrast to the literature in our series only in 9 out of 40 cases (23%) we were able to detect coexpression of chromogranin A and synaptophysin. This might be due to the characteristics of the antibodies we used. Although most tumours in our series were of the usual type, some tumours with NED were of a special type. Neither univariately, nor taking account of various known prognostic factors, does focal NED appear to carry a special prognostic significance. This finding is in line with results of previous studies.

jillyG

thanks orange, from what I have read it's very rare.  Since nobody mentioned this previously (neither oncologist or surgeon at path report follow-up appt) then I assumed it was something that doesn`t change my prognosis.....but wasn`t sure.  I will ask my surgeon about this next time I see him.  Thank you so much for your responses. 

Kssb

I was dx in 2007 with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast (IDC with neuroendocrine features). My path slides have been reviewed 5 times.