Metaplastic breast cancer: histologic characteristics, prognostic factors and systemic treatment strategies

Abstract

Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is a rare subtype of invasive breast cancer that tends to have an aggressive clinical presentation as well as a variety of distinct histologic designations. Few systemic treatment options are available for MBC, as it has consistently shown a suboptimal response to standard chemotherapy regimens. These characteristics result in a worse overall prognosis for patients with MBC compared to those with standard invasive breast cancer. Due to its rarity, data focusing on MBC is limited. This review will discuss the clinical presentation, breast imaging findings, histologic and molecular characteristics of MBC as well as potential future research directions.

Metaplastic Carcinoma of Breast with Extensive Chondroid Differentiation: A Case Report with Review of Literature

“…Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare neoplasm and represents 0.25-1% of breast cancers [1,2]. A few cases have been reported in published literature which is compared with our study .…”

Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma: Analysis of Clinical and Pathologic Characteristics - A Case Series

“…Despite the large tumor size, lymph node involvement is rare in these cases (10,13). The incidence rate for lymph node metastasis is between 0% and 63% (9,10,19,20).…”

“…Clinical examination usually reveals fast-growing palpable tumors (10,12). Most patients present with a well-defined mass over 2 cm in size, sometimes reaching 4-5 cm (3,10,13). A connection between tumor size, recurrence, and survival rates has been suggested (10).…”

A case of metaplastic breast carcinoma - an aggressive malignant tumour

“…The five year disease free rate for MBC is around 40% and overall survival rate is 50%-65% with significantly poorer survival rate in stage III or higher, but with good prognosis for early stage disease [2]. An increased risk of local and distal recurrence has been reported in multiple studies [8]. Patients with triple negative MBC have poor 3-year disease-free survival compared to a similar group of triple-negative IDC patients receiving identical chemotherapy regimens [9] Summary Metaplastic Breast Cancer is a rare aggressive breast cancer, which presents in advanced stages associated with poorer prognosis.…”

“…Distant metastases can be found in the absence of lymph node metastasis, specifically affecting the brain and lungs. Patients with MBC are more likely to present with stage III and IV disease when compared to patients with other invasive breast cancers [3,8].…”