TY - JOUR
T1 - The Pituitary Gland in Patients With Breast Carcinoma
T2 - A Histologic and Immunocytochemical Study of 125 Cases
AU - MARIN, FERNANDO
AU - KOVACS, KALMAN T.
AU - SCHEITHAUER, BERND W.
AU - YOUNG, WILLIAM F.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported in part by FISS (No. 91/5018), Madrid, Spain, Grant MT 6349 from the Medical Research Council of Canada, and the generous contributions of Mr. and Mrs. Francis A. Wittern, Sr., and Mr. and Mrs. Francis A. Wittern, Jr.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1992
Y1 - 1992
N2 - Pituitary glands obtained at autopsy of 125 women with disseminated breast carcinoma were studied to determine whether pituitary prolactin cell abnormalities (hyperplasia or adenoma) might be involved in the pathogenesis of breast carcinoma. In addition, we studied 85 pituitary glands obtained from unselected, consecutive autopsies in women without breast carcinoma but who died of other diseases (control group). The frequency of lactotroph hyperplasia was slightly higher in patients with breast carcinoma than in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant, nor were differences in the frequency and size of pituitary adenomas, prolactin-producing or otherwise. No correlation was found between the presence of lactotroph hyperplasia or prolactin-producing adenomas (or both) and such factors as the patient's age, bilaterality of the carcinoma, previous treatment with tamoxifen citrate or oophorectomy, stage of disease, or survival. The frequency of breast carcinoma metastatic to the pituitary gland was higher in the study group than in the control group; however, the difference was not statistically significant. No preferential site of metastatic involvement in the pituitary gland was noted. Relative proportions of other lesions such as infarcts, cysts, lymphocytic infiltrates, and basophilic invasion were similar in the study and control groups. This study indicates that accumulation of prolactin cells, whether hyperplastic or adenomatous, cannot be considered a major risk factor for the genesis or progression of breast carcinoma.
AB - Pituitary glands obtained at autopsy of 125 women with disseminated breast carcinoma were studied to determine whether pituitary prolactin cell abnormalities (hyperplasia or adenoma) might be involved in the pathogenesis of breast carcinoma. In addition, we studied 85 pituitary glands obtained from unselected, consecutive autopsies in women without breast carcinoma but who died of other diseases (control group). The frequency of lactotroph hyperplasia was slightly higher in patients with breast carcinoma than in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant, nor were differences in the frequency and size of pituitary adenomas, prolactin-producing or otherwise. No correlation was found between the presence of lactotroph hyperplasia or prolactin-producing adenomas (or both) and such factors as the patient's age, bilaterality of the carcinoma, previous treatment with tamoxifen citrate or oophorectomy, stage of disease, or survival. The frequency of breast carcinoma metastatic to the pituitary gland was higher in the study group than in the control group; however, the difference was not statistically significant. No preferential site of metastatic involvement in the pituitary gland was noted. Relative proportions of other lesions such as infarcts, cysts, lymphocytic infiltrates, and basophilic invasion were similar in the study and control groups. This study indicates that accumulation of prolactin cells, whether hyperplastic or adenomatous, cannot be considered a major risk factor for the genesis or progression of breast carcinoma.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0025-6196(12)60925-2
DO - 10.1016/S0025-6196(12)60925-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 1434855
AN - SCOPUS:0026657139
SN - 0025-6196
VL - 67
SP - 949
EP - 956
JO - Mayo Clinic proceedings
JF - Mayo Clinic proceedings
IS - 10
ER -