Primary Malignant Lymphoma of the Breast: Clinicopathological study of 9 cases

Kim, Sung Ho; Park, Yeon Hee; Choi, Seong Jun; Ryoo, Baek Yeol; Kang, Yoon Koo; Lee, Seung Sook; Kim, Sang Il; Choi, Kui Sung; Son, Hyun Bae; Ki, Seung Seog

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Primary lymphoma of the breast is rare disease, accounting for 1.7% to 2.2% of extranodal lymphoma and 0.38% to 0.7% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological features and treatment outcome of patients with primary breast lymphoma (PBL).
METHODS
We conducted retrospective review of cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed at Korea Cancer Center Hospital between 1989 and 2002. Nine of the 1050 cases fulfilled the criteria for PBL.
RESULTS
All patients were women (median age, 45 years) and they usually had breast masses that had recently become enlarged. Six cases involved the breast alone (stage IE), whereas three cases also involved the ipsilateral lymph nodes (stage IIE). Histopathologic studies revealed diffuse large B cell in 7 cases, marginal zone B cell lymphoma in 1 case, small lymphocytic lymphoma in 1 case. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed B-cell phenotype in all cases. Modified radical mastectomy and chemotherapy was done in 4 cases, modified radical mastectomy and chemoradiotherapy was done in 1 case, chemoradiotherapy was done in 1 case, modified radical mastectomy alone was done in 1 case, chemotherapy alone was done in 1 case, and radiotherapy alone was done in 1 case. All cases achieved a complete remission, but median overall survival was 12 months.
CONCLUSION
PBL represented 0.9% of all non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in our institute. The most frequent pathologic type was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. There was no uniform approach to the treatment of PBL. The patients showed very poor prognosis irrespective of the type of treatment modality.