Metaplastic carcinoma breast: Three year histopathological analysis at a tertiary care centre of Kashmir

Abstract

Background: Metaplastic breast carcinomas (MBCs) comprise a rare but aggressive subtype of breast cancer and represent less than 5% of invasive breast carcinomas. Histologically, metaplastic breast carcinoma is characterized by the presence of divergent cellular differentiation and heterologous elements, including squamous, spindled, sarcomatoid /pleomorphic, chondroid, and osseous differentiation. Material and Methods: Histopathologic characteristics of 11 cases of metaplastic carcinoma of breast encountered over a period of three years from May 2016 to May 2019 in our institute. Results: We encountered 11 cases of metaplastic breast cancers out of 226 primary breast malignancies. Two were breast conservation surgeries and the rest were modified radical mastectomies. The histopathological patterns encountered included squamous, chondroid, sarcomatoid and mixed histologic subtypes. Median tumor size was 3.5 cm, majority were triple-negative for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. All except two patients had lymph nodal metastasis. Conclusion: Metaplastic breast carcinoma is a rare type of breast cancer associated with a poor prognosis. Most patients in this series had high-grade, triple-negative tumors and were treated with optimal therapy.