CDX2-positive breast cancer presented with axillary lymph node metastases: A case report

The caudal type homeobox 2 transcription factor (CDX2) is a specific and sensitive marker for intestinal carcinoma, but usually not expressed in breast cancer. In CDX2-positive metastatic cancer of occult primary, the origin is highly suspicious of an enteric carcinoma.

A 50-year-old woman complained of enlarged lymph nodes (LNs) in the right axilla. Mammography and ultrasonography scans showed no abnormal findings in her breasts. Core needle biopsy (CNB) revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for CDX2 intensely. The primary tumor was suspicious of intestinal adenocarcinoma. A dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed an accentuated lesion which was detected using a second-look ultrasound, and diagnosed invasive ductal carcinoma by CNB. A partial mastectomy of the right breast with level I and II axillary LN dissection was performed. A few cells of primary cancer were expressed CDX2 and estrogen receptor. The final pathological diagnosis was T1bN3aM0 stage IIIC. The fluorescent double staining showed that CDX2 simultaneously expressed on the Ki67 positive cells of metastatic tumors. The adjuvant treatment included chemotherapy and radiation, followed by tamoxifen administration. The patient survived without any recurrences over the following 36 months.

We report a rare case of CDX2-positive metastatic breast cancer in the axillary LNs. As some literatures reported vitamin D pathways induced cancer cell apoptosis and inhibition, these metastatic cells of our case might play the effort of autoregulation of inhibiting progression.