Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast: analysis of eight Asian patients with special emphasis on two unusual cases presenting with inflammatory-type breast cancer

Anticancer Res. 2000 May-Jun;20(3B):2219-22.

Abstract

Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast is a rare form of breast cancer and has an uncertain prognostic significance. Cases from Asian countries have never been reported in the English literature. Between 1983 and 1998, we encountered 8 cases in our institution. There were 7 women and one man with a median age of 52.5 (37-73) years. Pathologic diagnosis included three poorly-differentiated adenosquamous carcinomas, two adenocarcinomas with spindle cell metaplasia, two matrix-producing carcinomas and one carcinosarcoma. Estrogen receptor was positive in 2 (25%) patients. Local recurrence or distant metastasis developed in 3 patients within one year of initial treatment. With a mean follow-up of 81 months (range, 19-183 months), 5 patients were disease-free at the time of this report. Interestingly, two of our patients had presented with huge-sized inflammatory breast cancer and were refractory to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, but enjoyed an unexpected long disease-free survival after mastectomy. Although the clinical course of our patients appeared in general similar to that of the Western series, the two patients with inflammatory breast carcinoma ran a very unusual course, which may deserve further characterization.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / chemistry
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology*
  • Adenocarcinoma / therapy
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms, Male / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms, Male / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms, Male / therapy
  • Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / chemistry
  • Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / therapy
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / chemistry
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / therapy
  • Carcinosarcoma / chemistry
  • Carcinosarcoma / pathology
  • Carcinosarcoma / therapy
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Cyclophosphamide / administration & dosage
  • Epirubicin / administration & dosage
  • Estrogens
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / administration & dosage
  • Humans
  • Inflammation
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Male
  • Mastectomy
  • Metaplasia
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Proteins / analysis
  • Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / chemistry
  • Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / pathology
  • Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / therapy
  • Progesterone
  • Receptors, Estrogen / analysis
  • Receptors, Progesterone / analysis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Taiwan / epidemiology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Estrogens
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Receptors, Progesterone
  • Epirubicin
  • Progesterone
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Fluorouracil