Metaplastic Carcinoma of the Breast: Case Series of a Single Institute and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast (MpBC) is a very rare and aggressive type of breast cancer. Data focusing on MpBC are limited. The aim of this study was to describe the clinicopathological features of MpBC and evaluate the prognosis of patients with MpBC. Eligible articles about MpBC were identified by searching CASES SERIES gov and the MEDLINE bibliographic database for the period of 1 January 2010 to 1 June 2021 with the keywords metaplastic breast cancer, mammary gland cancer, neoplasm, tumor, and metaplastic carcinoma. In this study, we also report 46 cases of MpBC stemming from our hospital. Survival rates, clinical behavior, and pathological characteristics were analyzed. Data from 205 patients were included for analysis. The mean age at diagnosis was 55 (14.7) years. The TNM stage at diagnosis was mostly stage II (58.5%) and most tumors were triple negative. The median overall survival was 66 (12–118) months, and the median disease-free survival was 56.8 (11–102) months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that surgical treatment was associated with decreased risk of death (hazard ratio 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.02–0.54, p = 0.01) while advanced TNM stage was associated with increased risk of death (hazard ratio 1.5, 95% confidence interval 1.04–2.28, p = 0.03). Our results revealed that surgical treatment and TNM stage were the only independent risk factors related to patients’ overall survival.

Epoxy- versus Glutaraldehyde-Treated Bovine Jugular Vein Conduit for Pulmonary Valve Replacement: A Comparison of Morphological Changes in a Pig Model

“…We noted that the Contegra group was characterized by hyalinosis, and subintimal chondroid metaplasia with signs of calcification both in the graft wall and PA in the anastomotic area (Figures 4B and 6). These transformations were confirmed via Von Kossa staining and IHC staining for S100 protein [44][45][46]. Previously, Peivandi et al described foci of heterotopic ossification in Contegra conduits 9 years after implantation [36].…”

Translational Aspects in Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma

“…Patients with MpBC are typically women between 50 and 60 years old [19,20]. The tumors show similar clinical features to ER-negative invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (NST) [6].…”

“…According to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology, the treatment approach for MpBCs aligns with that of invasive ductal or lobular carcinomas of the breast [106]. The treatment regimen typically involves surgery, adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, with consideration given to factors such as hormone receptor status and TNM stage at the time of diagnosis [19,106]. Nevertheless, other therapeutic options with well-studied and established targets should be considered, such as, for example, platinum based treatment, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy in MpBC [75] [107,108].…”

“…Recently, a study evaluating the OS of patients with different stages of MpBC revealed that the median OS was 69 months for patients with stage I disease, 103 months for stage II, 38.5 months for stage III, and 19 months for stage IV [19].…”

Clinical analysis of metaplastic breast carcinoma with distant metastases: A multi‑centre experience

“…A notable number of patients diagnosed with localized disease face dissemination or local recurrences (8)(9)(10). Data on outcomes of palliative treatment regimens used in this setting are limited with the majority of publications concentrating on the following: i) Clinicopathological characterisations with no or insufficient data regarding palliative treatment (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19); ii) a small number of patients with mBC-Mp (20,21); iii) radical treatment outcomes (22)(23)(24); or iv) data from the general population without further details on mBC-Mp (9,25,26).…”