title: Management and Outcomes in Metaplastic Breast Cancer.
abstract: Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) constitutes a rare clinical entity with special clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular features. Resistance to systemic therapies, whether chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, is among its main characteristics, which in turn explains the poor prognosis and renders its management a challenge. Thus, the scope of the present review is to discuss the current therapeutic strategies for MBC in clinical practice and the corresponding outcomes and to suggest possible directions for future research. Potential novel targeted therapies could provide a hope for better outcomes but limited data are available owing to the rarity of MBC. As knowledge accumulates on the pathogenesis and genetic characteristics of MBC, emphasis should be given to the implementation of more targeted treatments, which will allow more efficient and individualized management of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis-Georgios
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Tzanninis
authors.affiliation: Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece; Oncology Unit, Third Department of Internal Medicine, Athens Medical School, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Elias A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kotteas
authors.affiliation: Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ntanasis-Stathopoulos
authors.affiliation: First Propaedeutic Surgical Department, Athens Medical School, Hippocration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kontogianni
authors.affiliation: Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece; Oncology Unit, Third Department of Internal Medicine, Athens Medical School, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: fotopoulos.george1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fotopoulos
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D057285:Precision Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Chemotherapy; Genetics; MBC; Review; Targeted therapies