Primary Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of the Breast: Still Open Issues

Neuroendocrine breast tumors represent a rare subtype of breast cancer, accounting for less than 1% of all neuroendocrine neoplasms. Starting from their pathology definition, and going through their prevalence, prognosis and treatment, our knowledge is still really uncertain. In the present short re...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marco Gallo, Severo Campione, Valentina Di Vito, Nicoletta Fortunati, Fabio Lo Calzo, Erika Messina, Rosaria Maddalena Ruggeri, Antongiulio Faggiano, Annamaria Anita Livia Colao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Endocrinology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.610230/full
Description
Summary:Neuroendocrine breast tumors represent a rare subtype of breast cancer, accounting for less than 1% of all neuroendocrine neoplasms. Starting from their pathology definition, and going through their prevalence, prognosis and treatment, our knowledge is still really uncertain. In the present short review of the medical literature on this topic, we have evaluated in details their epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, pathology, clinical presentation, radiographic aspects, prognosis, and therapy. We have thus been able to identify a number of open issues regarding primary neuroendocrine neoplasms of the breast that need to be clarified. Our ultimate aim was actually to try to understand whether neuroendocrine neoplasms of the breast can be considered a definite clinical entity and if neuroendocrine differentiation of breast tumors has a really clinical relevance.
ISSN:1664-2392