Abstract
Pigmented breast cancer in the skin caused by nonneoplastic melanocytes of epidermal origin is a rare condition of metastasis from breast cancer, but the pathogenesis of this phenomenon is almost unknown. In this report, we describe a case of breast cancer metastasis in the skin with prominent hyperkeratotic pigmentation caused by nonneoplastic melanocyte colonization. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the metastatic tumor cells produced IL-23, which is reported not only to induce IL-17 but also to inhibit cell apoptosis in breast cancer cells, which affects tumor progression. In addition to IL-23, substantial numbers of IL-17-producing cells were detected at the peritumoral area, suggesting that IL-17 might induce not only melanogenesis but also keratinocyte proliferation and tumorigenesis. Our report suggests possible mechanisms of hyperkeratotic pigmentation of breast cancer metastasis in the skin.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 660-664 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Case Reports in Oncology |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2018 Sep 1 |
Keywords
- Breast cancer
- Hyperkeratosis
- IL-17
- IL-23
- Melanocyte colonization
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology