Basal like carcinoma of breast in patient with neurofibromatosis I: an association or co-existence?

Neurofibromatosis I (NF I), an autosomal dominant disorder is associated with increased risk of benign and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors and central nervous system tumors. There are only few case reports of breast carcinoma in known patients of NF I. We report a case of basal like carcinoma of the breast in a 69-year-old lady who had NF I. Considering the rare association of carcinomas with NF I and finding that both the NF I gene and a breast cancer pre-disposition gene, BRCA 1 are located in close proximity on chromosome 17q makes the association of these two conditions intriguing.