Metaplastic breast carcinomas - analysis of prognostic factors in a case series

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

Metaplastic breast cancer (BC-Mp), which includes a range of epithelial and mixed epithelial-mesenchymal tumours, are rare malignancies with an unfavourable prognosis. The limited literature on BC-Mp focuses mainly on retrospective data for radically treated patients. Notably absent are studies dedicated to the palliative treatment of BC-Mp with distant metastases. The present retrospective study investigated treatment modalities and prognosis in a multi-centre cohort of 31 female participants diagnosed with distant metastatic BC-Mp, including 7 patients with de novo metastatic disease. The median age of the patients was 61 years (range, 33-87 years), with 38.7% presenting local lymph node involvement. Lungs were the most common site for the metastatic disease (61.3%). Median Ki-67 index was 50% (range, 35-70%), and 80.7% of cases were classified as grade 3. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)+ and estrogen receptor+ were detected in 12.9 and 6.5% of cases, respectively. A total of 62.4% of patients received first-line palliative systemic treatment. The 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) were 38.5 and 19.2%, respectively. Receiving ≥1 line of palliative treatment was significantly associated with improved OS (P<0.001). Factors such as age, Ki-67 index, HER2 or hormonal status, presence of specific epithelial or mesenchymal components, location of metastases or chemotherapy regimen type did not influence OS. The present study provided insights into the clinicopathological profile, systemic treatment experience, prognostic factors and OS data of BC-Mp with distant metastases, emphasizing the imperative for clinical trials in this population.

Recurrent Metaplastic Breast Cancer with Subtype Converted from Triple-Negative to HER2-Positive: A Case Report and Literature Review

Background

Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is an extremely rare malignant breast disease that has rarely been reported. The molecular subtype of MBC is mostly triple-negative, with a high recurrence rate and a worse prognosis. Due to its low HR- and HER2-positive rate, reports on endocrine and targeted therapy are very limited.

Case report

We report a case of infrequent triple-negative MBC, which, although at an early stage, quickly developed multiple recurrent lesions in the chest wall. The tumor relapsed repeatedly after comprehensive treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, pathological results after the third surgery suggested that the molecular subtype had changed from triple-negative to HER2-positive. The previous comprehensive treatment had not been able to effectively control the disease, but the patient achieved a long progression-free survival time through chemotherapy and trastuzumab targeted therapy after the subtype change. To date, there has been no recurrence for over eight years.

Conclusion

Among repeatedly relapsed MBC patients, further investigation should be taken into consideration. As in the case presented in our study, it is possible that the HER2 status can convert from negative to overexpression. Moreover, for HER2-positive MBC patients, anti-HER2 therapy is recommended. The decision-making process requires multidisciplinary involvement.

The Effect of Post-Mastectomy Radiotherapy in Patients With Metaplastic Breast Cancer: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of the SEER Database

Background

Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is a rare tumor with aggressive biological behavior. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) on patients with low-risk (T1N0M0), intermediate-risk (T1-2N1M0 and T3N0M0), and high-risk (T1-4N2-3M0 and T4N0-1M0) MBC via propensity-score matching (PSM).

Methods

We analyzed information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) public-use database from 1975 to 2016 for MBC incidence trends and compared overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) between groups of MBC women diagnosed from 2001 to 2016 using Kaplan–Meier analysis and the multivariate Cox proportional model. PSM was used to make 1:1 case–control matching.

Results

Joinpoint analyses identified 1984 and 2003 as the inflection points among 4,672 patients. 1,588 (42.4%) of the 3,748 patients diagnosed with MBC between 2001 and 2016 received PMRT. According to multivariate analyses, PMRT provided better OS (p < 0.001) and BCSS (p < 0.001) before PSM, and better prognosis after PSM (n = 2528) for patients receiving PMRT (n = 1264) compared to those without PMRT (OS, p < 0.001 and BCSS, p < 0.001). When stratifying the case–control matching patients into low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups, PMRT could improve BCSS compared with that in non-PMRT patients in the high-risk groups; it also improved OS in both the intermediate- and high-risk groups.

Conclusions

Per findings of the PSM analysis, PMRT could provide better BCSS in high-risk groups, and better OS in intermediate- and high-risk groups.

The Effect of HER2 Status on Metaplastic Breast Cancer A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

BACKGROUND

The role of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) patients remains unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of HER2 status on MBC patients by propensity-score matching (PSM).

METHODS

The SEER data from 2010 to 2016 were extracted. The breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) of MBC patients, diagnosed from 2001 to 2016, was compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis. The multivariate Cox proportional model between groups was performed. PSM was used to make 1:1 case-control matching.

RESULTS

We included 1887 patients with a median follow-up time of 28 months (range 1-83 months). 1749 (92.7%) and 138 (7.3%) patients presented in the HER2-negative group and HER2-positive group. 833 (44.1%) patients received post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). The HER2-positive group had younger patients, lower tumor grades, and more advanced tumor stages. The prognoses were related to age of diagnosis, race/ethnicity, TNM stage, and PMRT in multivariate Cox analysis. ER status and HER2 status had no impact on BCSS. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, PMRT was associated with a better prognosis. Importantly, patients with HER2-negative status can benefit from PMRT, but not those with HER2-positive status. After PSM, on multivariate Cox analysis, the prognosis was related to HER2 status and PMRT. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, PMRT was related to a better prognosis for HER2-negative patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings supported that PMRT and HER2-positive status were associated with a better prognosis after PSM. However, HER2-negative, but not HER2-positive patients could benefit from PMRT.

The different outcomes between breast-conserving surgery plus radiotherapy and mastectomy in metaplastic breast cancer: A population-based study

Background

Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) are rare. The survival outcomes of MBC patients after breast conserving surgery plus radiotherapy (BCS+RT) or mastectomy have not been established. The study aimed to compare survival outcomes of MBC patients subjected to BCS+RT or mastectomy therapeutic options.

Methods

Patients who were subjected to BCS+RT or mastectomy between 2004 and 2014 were enrolled in this study through the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and the overall survival (OS) of the participants were determined. Cox proportional hazard model and the Kaplan Meier method were used to determine the correlation between the two surgical methods and survival outcomes.

Results

A total of 1197 patients were enrolled in this study. Among them, 439 patients were subjected to BCS+RT, while 758 patients were subjected to mastectomy. After propensity score matching (PSM), the BCS+RT and mastectomy groups consisted of 321 patients, respectively. The univariate and multivariate analysis with a 6-month landmark all indicate that patients receiving BCS+RT has higher OS than patients receiving mastectomy (HR = 0.701,95% CI = 0.496–0.990, P = 0.044; HR = 0.684,95% CI = 0.479–0.977, P = 0.037) while the BCSS was no difference between the two groups (HR = 0.739,95% CI = 0.474–1.153, P = 0.183; HR = 0.741,95% CI = 0.468–1.173, P = 0.200).

Conclusion

The BCS+RT therapeutic option exhibits a higher OS in MBC patients compared to the mastectomy approach.

Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma: Clinicopathological Parameters and Prognostic Profile

Introduction

Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is defined as breast cancer with a heterologous non-glandular component. MBC is considered a special type of breast cancer with a prognosis that is worse than invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast. MBC is the most common breast cancer with a triple-negative profile. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the clinicopathological parameters, recurrence and survival of MBC in our population.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study in the Department of Histopathology at Prince Faisal Oncology Centre, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia, over a period of five years. All cases diagnosed as MBC were included in the study. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on representative tissue blocks.

Results

Total 183 cases of MBCs were included in the study, out of which 120 cases were excision specimens. The mean age of the patients was 48.84±12.99 years, and the most common age group was between 36 and 50 years of age. Most of the cases were tumor (T) stage T3 (50%), and nodal metastasis was present in 40% of cases. Most cases were grade III (78.7%). ER, PR and HER2/neu positivity was noted in 15.8%, 13.1%, and 9.8% cases, respectively. Follow-up data were available for 70 cases, with a median follow-up period of 4 (1-7) years. Tumor recurrence was noted in 31.4% cases, with a survival rate of 71.4%. Squamous, chondroid, spindle cell differentiation, and matrix production were noted in 70.5%, 7.1%, 13.7%, and 2.2% cases, respectively. A significant association of squamous differentiation was noted with HER2/neu positivity. An inverse association of spindle cell differentiation was seen with axillary metastasis. Survival analysis by Kaplan-Meier revealed a significant association of survival with tumor recurrence.

Conclusion

MBC is an important subtype of breast cancer, histopathological identification of which is challenging, owing to varied histological differentiation. We found squamous differentiation to be the most common in MBC, which was associated with HER2/neu positivity. A high recurrence rate of MBC was also observed in our study that was significantly associated with survival.

A comprehensive overview of metaplastic breast cancer: clinical features and molecular aberrations

Metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC) is an exceedingly rare breast cancer variant that is therapeutically challenging and aggressive. MpBC is defined by the histological presence of at least two cellular types, typically epithelial and mesenchymal components. This variant harbors a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) phenotype, yet has a worse prognosis and decreased survival compared to TNBC. There are currently no standardized treatment guidelines specifically for MpBC. However, prior studies have found that MpBC typically has molecular alterations in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, amplification of epidermal growth factor receptor, PI3K/Akt signaling, nitric oxide signaling, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, altered immune response, and cell cycle dysregulation. Some of these molecular alterations have been studied as therapeutic targets, in both the preclinical and clinical setting. This current review discusses the histological organization and cellular origins of MpBC, molecular alterations, the role of radiation therapy, and current clinical trials for MpBC.

The Effect of Post-mastectomy Radiotherapy in Patients With Metaplastic Breast Cancer: An Analysis of SEER Database

Introduction: Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. The present study aimed to assess the effect of post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in MBC patients with intermediate-risk (T1-2N1M0 and T3N0M0) and high-risk (T1-4N2-3M0 and T4N0-1M0) disease.

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database was used to analyze patients with MBC between 2000 and 2014. Kaplan–Meier analysis, log-rank tests, and the multivariate Cox proportional model were used for statistical analysis.

Results: We identified 460 patients with a median follow-up time of 31 months (range, 2–178 months). Five-year breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) for all patients was 57.5%. In the entire group, multivariate analysis showed that PMRT was associated with better BCSS (hazard ratio (HR) 0.500, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.366–0.683, P < 0.001). The 5-year BCSS in PMRT and non-PMRT groups were 62.3 and 50.3%, respectively (P = 0.001). When stratified the patients into intermediate-risk and high-risk groups, PMRT could improve BCSS compared with that in non-PMRT patients in both the intermediate- and high-risk groups. For the intermediate-risk group, the 5-year BCSS was 74.3 and 64.7% in PMRT and non-PMRT groups (P = 0.042), respectively, and was 52.1 and 28.8% in high-risk patients treated with PMRT and non-PMRT, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: PMRT could improve the BCSS of MBC patients with intermediate- and high-risk disease.

Metaplastic Carcinoma Breast: A Clinical Analysis of Nine Cases

Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma (MBC) is a rare heterogeneous group of primary breast malignancies with different subgroups; exhibits a variety of histopathologic patterns and appears to be both epithelial and mesenchymal in origin. The ideal treatment for MBC remains unknown, due to its low incidence and pathological variability. Owing to its rarity, MBC has been treated as a variant of Invasive Duct Carcinoma (IDC). But it has poorer prognosis as compared to IDC. This is a case series to evaluate clinicopathologic characteristics and the multi-disciplinary treatment of nine MBC patients treated in a single institute.

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

OBJECTIVE

Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is a rare type of breast cancer that is considered to be clinically aggressive. The clinical significance and prognostic risk factors of MBC are limited. This study comprises a retrospective analysis of the clinical and pathologic findings of a series of patients treated for MBC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The files of 657 patients who underwent surgery because of breast cancer at our clinic were examined and the data found on 11 patients who were diagnosed as having MBC were analyzed.

RESULTS

With a median age of 56 years, all patients were postmenopausal and presented with a palpable mass on physical examination. Symptoms of ulceration and skin involvement were seen in only one patient. Eight patients were diagnosed as having squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and 3 had both SCC and osseous differentiation. The median diameter was 3.8 cm (max. 14 cm; min. 1.5 cm). Lymph node metastasis was detected in 5 (45%) patients. Progesterone (PR) and estrogen (ER) were both negative in 11 (100%) patients and 10 (90.9%) patients, respectively, and CerbB2 was negative in 7 (63.6%) patients. Patients were followed up for a median period of 15 months (range, 6-40 months); at the end of which, 10 patients survived and one died of cardiac arrest at 7 months post-operatively. No instances of local recurrence or distant organ metastasis were found in any patients. The overall patient survival rate was 90%.

CONCLUSION

There is no consensus on the clinical significance or best treatment approach for metaplastic carcinoma. In our study, patients with MBC were of advanced age, had tumors with large margins, high negativity for hormone receptors, and moderate- to well-differentiated histology.

Metaplastic breast cancer: clinical overview and molecular aberrations for potential targeted therapy

Metaplastic breast cancer is a rare subtype of invasive mammary carcinoma, with an aggressive behavior and usually poor outcome. Responses to systemic chemotherapy are suboptimal compared to patients with standard invasive ductal carcinoma. Limited data are available in regards to best treatment modalities, including chemotherapy. This review gives an overview of metaplastic breast cancer and its clinical and pathologic characteristics, in addition to treatment strategies, clinical trials, and future directions.

Metaplastic breast cancer with chondroid differentiation

Background

Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast is an extremely rare subtype of breast cancer with an incidence of <1% of all breast neoplasms. Metaplastic carcinoma with chondroid differentiation is the rarest among all histologic subtypes of breast cancer. We report a case of infiltrating ductal carcinoma with metaplastic features of chondroid differentiation.

Case presentation

A 58-year-old-woman presented to our clinic with a 4-month history of a lump in her right breast. On examination, a firm non-tender mass measuring 2×2 cm was noted in the right upper outer quadrant. It was not attached to the underlying structures. Mammography revealed a dense irregular mass in the axillary tail and a circumscribed nodule in the 6 O'clock periareolar region. This was a new development compared to the patient's most recent screening mammogram performed 2 years and 6 months previously. Ultrasound demonstrated a lobulated solid mass in the axillary tail and a simple cyst in the 6 O'clock periareolar region. Biopsy of the areolar region of the right breast revealed atypical duct hyperplasia. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the right breast axillary tail revealed a poorly differentiated invasive carcinoma consistent with mammary duct origin. On histopathological examination, it was an infiltrating ductal carcinoma with metaplastic features of chondroid differentiation. The tumor was estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER-2 negative with 0% nuclear staining. Ki-67 index was 52% with strong nuclear staining. The overall ELSTON grade of invasive carcinoma was grade 3. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with AC-T (adriamycin, cytoxan, and taxol) and is currently undergoing surveillance for recurrent disease.

Conclusion

Metaplastic breast cancer is an extremely rare subtype of breast carcinoma. Initial management of localized disease consists of wide excision with clear surgical margins followed by radiation or mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Although standard breast chemotherapy regimens such as AC-T are routinely used in metaplastic breast cancer in both adjuvant and metastatic settings, outcomes are significantly inferior to other breast subtypes. Further studies are required to explore targeted treatment to achieve better outcomes in this patient population.

An 18-year-old woman with a 34-cm metaplastic breast carcinoma

Metaplastic breast carcinomas (MBCs) are rare malignancies usually with poor prognosis. We report a case of an 18-year-old African female patient who presented with a 34-cm tumor on the right breast. Biopsy showed an extensively necrotic MBC negative for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (triple negative). A modified right radical mastectomy was performed, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Histology confirmed a widely necrotic undifferentiated malignant tumor, with strong and diffuse expression of vimentin and B-cell lymphoma 2, focal high-molecular-weight keratins and focal CD34 expression; Ki67 was >90%. There was no skin, deep margin or lymph node involvement. Six months after surgery, the patient showed a 9 × 7 cm nodule adjacent to the suture and adherent to the anterior chest wall. The tumor was considered unresectable and the patient evolved with rapid systemic deterioration. The patient had a progression-free survival of 6 months and overall survival of 9 months.