Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast: analysis of eight Asian patients with special emphasis on two unusual cases presenting with inflammatory-type breast cancer.
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.
Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei.
S H
SH
Kuo
C L
CL
Chen
C S
CS
Huang
A L
AL
Cheng
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004967:Estrogens; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008408:Mastectomy; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D011374:Progesterone; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004967:Estrogens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D015251:Epirubicin; D011374:Progesterone; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil