title: [Chondrosarcomatous metaplastic carcinoma of the breast, a rare tumor].
abstract: Metaplastic carcinomas of the breast are uncommon, accounting for less than 0.2% of all breast cancers. Clinically and radiologically, metaplastic carcinomas are indistinguishable from typical ductal carcinomas, and the diagnosis is made histologically by the finding of a mesenchymal component. We present a case of chondrosarcomatous metaplastic breast carcinoma whose definitive diagnosis required immunohistochemical techniques to confirm the malignant epithelial component of the tumor. Accurate diagnosis is important because this tumor behaves differently: it usually spreads through the blood (whereas typical epithelial carcinomas spread through the lymph vessels), metastases present during follow-up rather than before diagnosis, and the five-year survival rate is 35%.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y Digestiva, Hospital JM Morales Meseguer, Murcia, España. Electronic address: magirapi@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guillén-Paredes
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y Digestiva, Hospital JM Morales Meseguer, Murcia, España.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrasco-González
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital JM Morales Meseguer, Murcia, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chaves-Benito
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Radiodiagnóstico, Hospital JM Morales Meseguer, Murcia, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Gálvez
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y Digestiva, Hospital JM Morales Meseguer, Murcia, España.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Aguayo-Albasini
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D018211:Chondrosarcoma, Mesenchymal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged