Clinical Characteristics and Survival Outcomes of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma Subtypes: A Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION

Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MpBC) is a rare neoplasm accounting for < 1% of all breast cancer (BC). It is characterized by histologic and molecular heterogeneity with differentiation into subtypes including squamous cells and/or mesenchymal-like elements, such as spindle, chondroid, and osseous. It is therapeutically challenging and has a worse prognosis than other BC types. Little is known about its different subtypes. Our research evaluated the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of the various subtypes of metaplastic BC.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study over 13 y (2010-2023) using the TriNetX database. A total of 558 patients diagnosed with MpBC were identified in the database. The cohort was further queried by subcategories of MpBC (adenosquamous carcinoma, epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma, adenocarcinoma with squamous metaplasia, adenocarcinoma with cartilaginous and osseous metaplasia, adenocarcinoma with spindle cell metaplasia, metaplastic carcinoma, not otherwise specified [NOS], carcinosarcoma [NOS], myoepithelial carcinoma, and carcinosarcoma, embryonal). Data on demographics, Tumor, Node, and Metastasis stage, treatments (radiation, mastectomy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, lymph node biopsy/aspiration, chemotherapy), and biomarkers (estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2/neu) were analyzed. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare overall survival between all the subtypes. A Fisher exact test was used to compare subtypes.

RESULTS

Among 558 MpBC patients, the majority were metaplastic carcinoma, NOS (n = 446), followed by carcinosarcoma (n = 49), adenosquamous carcinoma (n = 26), and osseous-differentiated adenocarcinoma (n = 11). Most tumors were triple-negative and Stage I-II. Chemotherapy and mastectomy were common, though treatment patterns varied by subtype. Survival was significantly worse for carcinosarcoma compared to both metaplastic carcinoma, NOS (P = 0.005) and osseous subtypes (P = 0.0039). Median survival was 6.4 y for metaplastic carcinoma NOS and 5.5 y for carcinosarcoma. No deaths occurred in the osseous group.

CONCLUSIONS

MpBC has a variety of subtypes, and despite its poor prognosis, little research has been conducted, which warrants further investigation.