Detection of Mucin and Calcium in Breast Cancer using Special Stains

Abstract

This is a retrospective study conducted in Omdurman Friendship Hospital in Khartoum state; during the period from May to August 2012. The objective of this study is to investigate patients who developed mucin and calcium deposition associated with breast cancer. Thirty-one paraffin embedded breast tissue blocks previously diagnosed as breast cancer were selected. The patient's information was collected from the archived files of patients. The patient's ages ranged between 28 - 88 years with mean age 58 years. Tissue sections were stained using Vonkossa and alcian blue technique for histochemical method for detection calcium and mucin respectively. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS computer program. Age group in the study detailed as follows: 18 (58%) patients between 28-48 years, 9 (29%) patients between 49-68 years, and 4 (13%) patients between 69-88 years. Mucin was positive in 21 (68%) patients and negative in 10 (32%) patients. Diagnosis of mucin-positive lesions was as follows: 17 (55%) patients were invasive ductal carcimona, 3 (10%) patients were invasive lobular carcinoma and 1 (3%) patient was ductal carcinoma in situ. Calcium was positive in 8 (26%) patients and negative in 23 (74%) patients. Diagnosis of calcium-positive lesions was as follows: 7 (23%) patients were IDC, and 1 patient (3%) was DCIS and no ILC was detected. The study concluded that the deposition of mucin and calcium are found in breast malignancies regardless to the patient's ages. There is no relation between breast cancer, mucin and calcium deposition, also there is no relation between mucin and calcium deposition in breast cancer