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Barrientos-Toro EN, Ding Q, Raso MG. Translational Aspects in Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1433. [PMID: 38611109 PMCID: PMC11011105 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MpBC) is a rare, heterogeneous group of invasive breast carcinomas, which are classified as predominantly triple-negative breast carcinomas (TNBCs; HR-negative/HER2-negative). Histologically, MpBC is classified into six subtypes. Two of these are considered low-grade and the others are high-grade. MpBCs seem to be more aggressive, less responsive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and have higher rates of chemoresistance than other TNBCs. MpBCs have a lower survival rate than expected for TNBCs. MpBC treatment represents a challenge, leading to a thorough exploration of the tumor immune microenvironment, which has recently opened the possibility of new therapeutic strategies. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition in MpBC is characterized by the loss of intercellular adhesion, downregulation of epithelial markers, underexpression of genes with biological epithelial functions, upregulation of mesenchymal markers, overexpression of genes with biological mesenchymal functions, acquisition of fibroblast-like (spindle) morphology, cytoskeleton reorganization, increased motility, invasiveness, and metastatic capabilities. This article reviews and summarizes the current knowledge and translational aspects of MpBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizve Nairoby Barrientos-Toro
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Qingqing Ding
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Maria Gabriela Raso
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
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Chang CM, Lam HYP. Metaplastic Carcinoma of the Axillary Breast With Heterologous Mesenchymal (Chondroid) Differentiation: A Difficult Case and Literature Review. Breast Cancer (Auckl) 2023; 17:11782234231215183. [PMID: 38024140 PMCID: PMC10676630 DOI: 10.1177/11782234231215183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Metaplastic breast carcinoma is an invasive carcinoma with a high differentiation rate of the neoplastic epithelium toward mesenchymal-like epithelium. It comprises of only less than 1% of all breast cancers. Although 80% to 90% of metaplastic breast carcinomas are triple-negative cancers, they usually have worse outcomes than other triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs). Metaplastic carcinoma is also often refractory to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Here, we reported a case of a 61-year-old female patient, presenting with a solitary and pedunculated mass in the right axillary tail breast tissue, whose biopsy revealed metaplastic breast carcinoma with chondroid differentiation. She had failed neoadjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Although she received debulking surgery, the tumor regrew even faster before surgery. Despite receiving palliative chemotherapy, the patient died 11 weeks after surgery. This case draws attention to physicians that early recognition and surgery may be more beneficial than chemotherapy in combating metaplastic breast carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ming Chang
- Department of General Surgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Ho Yin Pekkle Lam
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
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Ismail Y, Kamal A, Allam R, Zakaria AS. The conundrum of metaplastic breast cancer: a single Egyptian institution retrospective 10-year experience (2011-2020). J Egypt Natl Canc Inst 2023; 35:16. [PMID: 37271778 DOI: 10.1186/s43046-023-00178-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metaplastic breast cancer (MetBC) still represents a conundrum owing to its peculiar histogenesis and molecular drivers that render it extremely resistant to standard chemotherapy with ultimate dismal survival. AIM Describe the Egyptian National Cancer Institute's (NCI-E) experience with MetBC regarding its clinicopathologic features, treatment, and survival outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 2011 and 2020, all MetBC patients presented to NCI-E were retrospectively evaluated. Original clinicopathologic data, therapeutic modalities, pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), recurrence, and date of last follow-up/death were obtained from archived charts. RESULTS A cohort of 135 females, the median age was 52 years, and median follow-up period was 40 months (range: 2.6-130.8). Two-thirds were triple negative (TN). Squamous carcinoma was prevalent in 74.8% followed by carcinoma with osseous/chondroid differentiation, spindle cell, and low-grade adenosquamous carcinoma encountered in 13.3, 7.4, and 4.5%, respectively. Modified radical mastectomy was done in 59.3%, and positive nodes (pN+) were depicted in 37.7%. Median Ki-67 was 45% (range: 10-88); grade III and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) were observed in 83.7 and 43.7%, respectively. Stage II was the most common (49%), whereas initial stage IV was encountered in 8.1%. Anthracyclines/taxane combinations were rampant in adjuvant/neoadjuvant settings. The latter was employed in 41 patients, with only 3 cases (7.3%) achieving pathologic complete response (pCR), while moderate/significant residual tumor burden was found in 83%. The 5-year DFS and OS were 56.4 and 57.6%, respectively. Spindle cell carcinoma showed the worst survival parameters in univariate analysis. On the multivariate level, higher tumor stage (pT3 & 4), Ki-67 ≥ 45%, and TN subtype were independent variables for worse DFS and OS; age ≥ 52 years and the presence of LVI were independent features for worse DFS, whereas pN+ was an independent parameter for worse OS. CONCLUSIONS This study further solidifies the dreadful response of MetBC to conventional chemotherapy regimens employed in common non-metaplastic pathologies. A radical shift in treatment standards tailored to combat the molecular landscape of this distinctive tumor is urgently needed. Immunotherapy and molecularly targeted agents demonstrated promising results in phase I and II trials with hopeful sooner implementation in phase III studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahia Ismail
- Medical Oncology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11796, Egypt.
| | - Amr Kamal
- Surgical Oncology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11796, Egypt
| | - Rasha Allam
- Cancer Epidemiology & Biostatistics Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11796, Egypt
| | - Al-Shimaa Zakaria
- Pathology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, 11796, Egypt
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Khoury T. Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma Revisited; Subtypes Determine Outcomes: Comprehensive Pathologic, Clinical, and Molecular Review. Clin Lab Med 2023; 43:221-243. [PMID: 37169444 DOI: 10.1016/j.cll.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MpBC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors that clinically could be divided into low risk and high risk. It is important to recognize the different types of MpBC, as the high-risk subtypes have worse clinical outcomes than triple-negative breast cancer. It is important for the pathologist to be aware of the MpBC entities and use the proposed algorithms (morphology and immunohistochemistry) to assist in rendering the final diagnosis. Few pitfalls are discussed, including misinterpretation of immunohistochemistry and certain histomorphologies, particularly spindle lesions associated with complex sclerosing lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaer Khoury
- Pathology Department, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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Dong S, Fang Y, Syed S. A rare case of advanced metaplastic breast carcinoma with response to treatment with Sacituzumab govitecan. CURRENT PROBLEMS IN CANCER: CASE REPORTS 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpccr.2023.100239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
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Chartier S, Brochard C, Martinat C, Coussy F, Feron JG, Kirova Y, Cottu P, Marchiò C, Vincent-Salomon A. TROP2, androgen receptor, and PD-L1 status in histological subtypes of high-grade metaplastic breast carcinomas. Histopathology 2023; 82:664-671. [PMID: 36527253 DOI: 10.1111/his.14852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AIMS High-grade metaplastic breast carcinoma (HG-MBC) is a rare subtype of invasive breast carcinoma, mostly triple-negative. Metaplastic carcinomas are less responsive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and are associated with a worse outcome than invasive carcinomas of no special type. METHODS Clinicopathological characteristics and immunophenotype were retrospectively assessed in a series of 65 patients diagnosed with HG-MBC between 2005 and 2017 at the Curie Institute (antibody panel: oestrogen receptor [ER], progesterone receptor [PR], androgen receptor [AR], human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 [HER2], programmed death ligand-1 [PD-L1], and trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 [TROP2]). RESULTS The median age at diagnosis was 59.5 years. Six (9%) patients had metastatic disease at diagnosis. Among the nonmetastatic patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy, 26% (5/19) achieved pathological complete response. Most tumours were pT1/pT2 (77%) and 12% were pN+. Histological subtypes (mixed, squamous, mesenchymal, and spindle cell) were 40%, 35.5%, 15.5%, and 9%, respectively. Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes were low or moderate except when squamous differentiation was present. Most tumours were triple-negative (92%). AR and TROP2 were positive in 34% and 85% of the cases, respectively. PD-L1 was positive in tumour cells in 18% (cutoff: 1% of positive tumour cells) of the cases and in tumour-infiltrating immune cells in 40% (cutoff: 1% of tumour area) of the cases. Notably, spindle cell and mesenchymal metaplastic breast carcinomas were mostly PDL1-negative. Lastly, 21 (32.3%) cases were HER2-low, all being HER2 1+, with no HER2 2+. CONCLUSION Metaplastic breast carcinoma could benefit from tailored therapeutic strategies adapted to the phenotypic specificities of histological subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Chartier
- Department of Pathology, Hôpital Bicêtre, APHP, Université Paris Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.,Department of Pathology, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Florence Coussy
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | | | - Youlia Kirova
- Department of Radiotherapy, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Paul Cottu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Caterina Marchiò
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Italy.,Pathology Unit, Candiolo Cancer Institute FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
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Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Metaplastic Breast Cancer Compared with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: A Propensity-Matched Analysis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15051556. [PMID: 36900347 PMCID: PMC10000576 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC) is an aggressive histologic type of breast cancer. Although MpBC has a poor prognosis and is responsible for a large proportion of breast cancer mortalities, the clinical features of MpBC compared with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) are not well known, and the optimal treatment has not been identified. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 155 MpBC patients and 16,251 IDC cases who underwent breast cancer surgery in a single institution between January 1994 and December 2019. The two groups were matched 1:4 by age, tumor size, nodal status, hormonal receptor status, and HER2 status using propensity-score matching (PSM). Finally, 120 MpBC patients were matched with 478 IDC patients. Disease-free survival and overall survival of MpBC and IDC patients both before and after PSM were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival, and multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify variables affecting long-term prognosis. RESULTS The most common subtype of MpBC was triple-negative breast cancer, and nuclear and histologic grades were higher than those of IDC. Pathologic nodal staging of the metaplastic group was significantly lower than that of the ductal group, and more frequent adjuvant chemotherapy was performed in the metaplastic group. Multivariable Cox regression analysis indicated that MpBC was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival (HR = 2.240; 95% CI, 1.476-3.399, p = 0.0002) and overall survival (HR = 1.969; 95% CI, 1.147-3.382, p = 0.0140). However, survival analysis revealed no significant difference between MpBC and IDC patients in disease-free survival (HR = 1.465; 95% CI, 0.882-2.432, p = 0.1398) or overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.542; 95% confidential interval (CI), 0.875-2.718, p = 0.1340) after PSM. CONCLUSION Although the MpBC histologic type had poor prognostic factors compared with IDC, it can be treated according to the same principles as aggressive IDC.
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Voutilainen S, Heikkilä P, Bartkova J, Nevanlinna H, Blomqvist C, Bartek J, Mattson J. Markers associated with genomic instability, immunogenicity and immune therapy responsiveness in Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast: Expression of γH2AX, pRPA2, P53, PD-L1 and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in 76 cases. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:1298. [PMID: 36503417 PMCID: PMC9743555 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10408-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast carcinoma that is often resistant to conventional chemotherapy. Therefore, novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. Immune check point inhibitors have shown activity in programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) - positive metastatic triple negative breast carcinoma (TNBC), which raises the possibility that immunotherapy may also be effective in MpBC as most of the MpBCs are triple negative. The aim of the present study was to assess genomic instability and immunogenicity in tumor specimens of patients with MpBC. METHODS A total of 76 patients diagnosed with MpBC over a 15-year period were included in the study. We performed immunohistochemical analyses for tumor cell PD-L1, immune cell PD-L1 and p53 on tissue microarrays (TMAs), analyzed stromal and intratumoral tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from hematoxylin and eosin-stained (H&E) slides and scored gamma-H2AX (γH2AX) and phosphorylated-RPA2 (pRPA2) from whole tissue sections. We correlated marker expression with clinicopathologic features and clinical outcome. RESULTS All tumors expressed γH2AX and pRPA2 with median expressions of 43% and 44%. P53- (68%), tumor cell PD-L1- (59%) and immune cell PD-L1-positivity (62%) were common in MpBCs. Median stromal TIL and intratumoral TIL counts were 5% and 0. The spindle and squamous cell carcinomas expressed the highest levels of PD-L1 and TILs, and carcinoma with mesenchymal differentiation the lowest. CONCLUSIONS MpBC appears to be an immunogenic cancer with high genomic instability and frequent PD-L1-positivity, implying that check point inhibitors might be effective in MpBC. Expression levels of PD-L1 and TILs varied across different histologic subtypes, suggesting that immunotherapy might be less effective in carcinoma with mesenchymal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Voutilainen
- grid.15485.3d0000 0000 9950 5666Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Paciuksenkatu 3, PO BOX 180, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - P. Heikkilä
- grid.15485.3d0000 0000 9950 5666Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J. Bartkova
- grid.417390.80000 0001 2175 6024Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Division of Genome Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - H. Nevanlinna
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - C. Blomqvist
- grid.15485.3d0000 0000 9950 5666Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Paciuksenkatu 3, PO BOX 180, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - J. Bartek
- grid.417390.80000 0001 2175 6024Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Division of Genome Biology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - J. Mattson
- grid.15485.3d0000 0000 9950 5666Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Paciuksenkatu 3, PO BOX 180, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
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Özkurt E, Emiroğlu S, Cabioğlu N, Karanlık H, Önder S, Tükenmez M, İğci A, Özmen V, Müslümanoğlu M. Metaplastic Breast Cancer: Mesenchymal Subtype Has Worse Survival Outcomes. Breast Care (Basel) 2022; 17:554-560. [PMID: 36590148 PMCID: PMC9801396 DOI: 10.1159/000525324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare type of breast cancer that accounts for 0.2-1% of all breast cancers. To date, there are only few institutional studies comparing survival rates between different subtypes. In this retrospective cohort study, we aim to evaluate factors effecting survival rates of different subtypes of MBC. Methods This retrospective cohort study observed 118 nonmetastatic MBC patient records extracted from 15,244 breast cancer cases between December 2000 and December 2020. In order to analyze factors effecting survival rates of mesenchymal subtype of MBC, all cases are classified as mesenchymal (n = 45) and other (n = 48). Twenty-five cases could not be sub-classified due to the missing data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to define factors associated with survival rates. Results Of the 15,244 cases, 118 (0.8%) were nonmetastatic MBC. 105 were triple negative and 12 were nonluminal HER2. There was no significant difference between mesenchymal and other subgroups for age, median tumor size, AJCC staging, and type of surgery. Of the five local recurrences with known subgroup, four of them had mesenchymal subtype. It is demonstrated that mesenchymal subtype was significantly associated with worse 5-year disease-free survival and disease-specific survival (HR: 2.35 [1.01-5.48], p = 0.049, and HR: 3.16 [1.06-9.47], p = 0.040 with 95% CI, respectively). Conclusion This study is one of the few studies presenting the survival outcomes of subtypes of MBCs. Nonetheless, it is the only study demonstrating that mesenchymal subtype had worse survival outcomes. Further studies are needed to determine the outcome of different subtypes of MBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enver Özkurt
- Department of General Surgery, Başarı Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Selman Emiroğlu
- Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Neslihan Cabioğlu
- Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hasan Karanlık
- Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Semen Önder
- Department of Pathology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Tükenmez
- Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Abdullah İğci
- Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Vahit Özmen
- Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mahmut Müslümanoğlu
- Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
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Differences of Clinicopathological Features between Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma and Nonspecific Invasive Breast Carcinoma and Prognostic Profile of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma. Breast J 2022; 2022:2500594. [PMID: 36051469 PMCID: PMC9424033 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2500594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Metaplastic breast carcinoma is a rare special type of breast cancer, which has distinguished clinical characteristics. We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological features of metaplastic breast carcinoma compared with nonspecific invasive breast carcinoma and study the prognosis of metaplastic breast carcinoma. Methods We reviewed metaplastic breast carcinoma cases (n = 37) from January 2000 to December 2021 and nonspecific invasive breast carcinoma cases (n = 433) from January 2019 to December 2020 extracted from our institution retrospectively. The following variables were recorded, including the patients' general information, complications, T stage, expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, Ki-67, molecular subtyping, lymph node status, skin or chest wall involvement, vessel carcinoma embolus, therapy modality (surgical treatments, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy), and survival. Results Patients with metaplastic breast carcinoma had more advanced disease than patients with nonspecific invasive breast carcinoma (T stage: P=0.0011). A greater proportion of metaplastic breast carcinoma presented with triple-negative breast cancer than nonspecific invasive breast carcinoma (79.41% vs. 12.47%, P ≤ 0.001). Our study showed that the skin or chest wall invasion was more frequent in metaplastic breast carcinoma patients (11.76% vs. 1.62%, P=0.005). The 5-year survival rate for metaplastic breast carcinoma patients was 57.66% (95% CI: 0.3195∼0.7667). No local recurrence was observed while distant metastasis occurred in 33.33% of patients with metaplastic breast carcinoma. Death due to disease occurred in 24.24% of patients with metaplastic breast carcinoma. Conclusion The majority of metaplastic breast carcinoma patients had more advanced disease and triple-negative disease than nonspecific invasive breast carcinoma patients. Also, metaplastic breast carcinoma patients had frequent skin or chest wall invasion and a high rate of distant metastasis and mortality.
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Genomic characterization and tumor evolution in paired samples of metaplastic breast carcinoma. Mod Pathol 2022; 35:1066-1074. [PMID: 35177782 DOI: 10.1038/s41379-022-01017-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Metaplastic breast carcinomas are a rare and heterogeneous group of tumors (0.5-2%). They are mainly triple negative tumors but they present poorer chemotherapy responses and worse prognosis than other triple negative tumors. The aim of our study was to characterize the molecular profile and tumor evolution in matched (primary-relapse) tumor samples from patients with early-stage metaplastic breast carcinomas who had disease recurrence/progression. We performed genomic profiling of tumor biopsies at least from two different time points of their tumor evolution. Tumor samples were analyzed by DNA-Next Generation Sequencing (Illumina 2 x 75bp) using the Action OncoKitDX panel (Imegen-Health in Code group), which includes point mutations in 50 genes, CNVs, and fusion genes. Only pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants were considered for analysis and they were categorized following the ComPerMed criteria. We analyzed 21 matched tumor samples (8 primary and 13 relapse/progression samples). Genomic profiling of matched tumor samples revealed that mutations present in primary tumors are generally maintained in the relapse/disease progression. We did not find a significant increase in point mutations between primary and relapse/progression samples, although gene amplifications were found more frequently in relapse/progression samples. Tumor samples harbored high frequency of TP53 (100%) and TERT promoter (29%) mutations, and of MYC amplifications (80% of which in relapse/progression samples). No PI3KCA mutations were found, but PTEN variations were enriched in 38% of samples (10% mutations and 28% deletions). FGFR1 amplifications were identified in 13% of samples (primary tumor only). Neither ERBB2 nor EGFR gene amplifications were detected. The most frequent pathogenic alterations occurred in cycle regulation's genes, including TP53 and TERT promoter mutations, and MYC amplifications. Relapse/progression samples were highly enriched for MYC amplification. Larger studies are required to better characterize these tumors, and identify new strategies to improve the prognosis of these patients.
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Lee JS, Yost SE, Li SM, Cui Y, Frankel PH, Yuan YC, Schmolze D, Egelston CA, Guo W, Murga M, Chang H, Bosserman L, Yuan Y. Genomic Markers of CDK 4/6 Inhibitor Resistance in Hormone Receptor Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:3159. [PMID: 35804935 PMCID: PMC9264913 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors are the standard of care for hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer. This retrospective study reports on genomic biomarkers of CDK 4/6i resistance utilizing genomic data acquired through routine clinical practice. Patients with HR+ MBC treated with palbociclib, ribociclib, or abemaciclib and antiestrogen therapy were identified. Patients were grouped into early (<6 months); intermediate (6−24 months for 0−1 lines; 6−9 months for ≥2 lines); or late progressors (>24 months for 0−1 lines; >9 months PFS for ≥2 lines). NGS and RNA sequencing data were analyzed in association with PFS, and survival analysis was stratified by prior lines of chemotherapy. A total of 795 patients with HR+ MBC treated with CDK 4/6i were identified. Of these, 144 (18%) patients had genomic data and 29 (3.6%) had RNA data. Among the 109 patients who received CDK4/6i as 1st- or 2nd-line therapy, 17 genes showed associations with PFS (p-value ≤ 0.15 and HR ≥ 1.5 or HR < 0.5). Whole transcriptome RNAseq was analyzed for 24/109 (22%) patients with 0−1 prior lines of therapy and 56 genes associated with PFS (HR ≥ 4 or HR ≤ 0.25 and FDR ≤ 0.15). In this retrospective analysis, genomic biomarkers including FGFR1 amplification, PTEN loss, and DNA repair pathway gene mutations showed significant associations with shorter PFS for patients receiving CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Sun Lee
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (J.S.L.); (S.E.Y.); (M.M.); (H.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Susan E. Yost
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (J.S.L.); (S.E.Y.); (M.M.); (H.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Sierra Min Li
- Department of Biostatistics, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.M.L.); (Y.C.); (P.H.F.)
| | - Yujie Cui
- Department of Biostatistics, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.M.L.); (Y.C.); (P.H.F.)
| | - Paul H. Frankel
- Department of Biostatistics, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (S.M.L.); (Y.C.); (P.H.F.)
| | - Yate-Ching Yuan
- Department of Computational Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
| | - Daniel Schmolze
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA;
| | - Colt A. Egelston
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (C.A.E.); (W.G.)
| | - Weihua Guo
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (C.A.E.); (W.G.)
| | - Mireya Murga
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (J.S.L.); (S.E.Y.); (M.M.); (H.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Helen Chang
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (J.S.L.); (S.E.Y.); (M.M.); (H.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Linda Bosserman
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (J.S.L.); (S.E.Y.); (M.M.); (H.C.); (L.B.)
| | - Yuan Yuan
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; (J.S.L.); (S.E.Y.); (M.M.); (H.C.); (L.B.)
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13
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Khoury T. Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma Revisited; Subtypes Determine Outcomes: Comprehensive Pathologic, Clinical, and Molecular Review. Surg Pathol Clin 2022; 15:159-174. [PMID: 35236632 DOI: 10.1016/j.path.2021.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MpBC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors that clinically could be divided into low risk and high risk. It is important to recognize the different types of MpBC, as the high-risk subtypes have worse clinical outcomes than triple-negative breast cancer. It is important for the pathologist to be aware of the MpBC entities and use the proposed algorithms (morphology and immunohistochemistry) to assist in rendering the final diagnosis. Few pitfalls are discussed, including misinterpretation of immunohistochemistry and certain histomorphologies, particularly spindle lesions associated with complex sclerosing lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaer Khoury
- Pathology Department, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
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14
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Leão I, Afonso-João D, Esteves J, Fernandes F, Joaquim A. Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma in a 37-Year-Old Female: A Case Report. Cureus 2022; 14:e21881. [PMID: 35273849 PMCID: PMC8901166 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.21881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare and aggressive histologic subtype of cancer. Because of its rarity and heterogeneity, the management of these patients is challenging. Here, we present the case of a rapidly progressive MBC with mesenchymal differentiation in a 37-year-old female, treated with trimodal therapy consisting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin, followed by dose-dense cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin (ddAC), modified radical left mastectomy, and adjuvant radiotherapy. Despite the need to anticipate the surgery after the first cycle of ddAC, because of a life-treating adverse event, there was a pathologic complete response. Nevertheless, 6.2 months after completing adjuvant radiotherapy, the patient had a recurrence on the central nervous system (CNS) (two lesions), which was managed with excisional biopsy and stereotactic body radiation therapy. The patient also started “complementary” chemotherapy with capecitabine. Still, 18 months after being diagnosed, she died due to CNS disease progression.
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15
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Assunção Ribeiro da Costa RE, da Silva Fontinele DR, Medeiros PCDR, Vieira SC. Survival in metaplastic breast carcinoma: A case series. Breast Dis 2021; 41:133-136. [PMID: 34864646 DOI: 10.3233/bd-210040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare type of breast cancer (0.20-1.00% of all cases). With a more aggressive clinical course, MBC frequently presents as a triple-negative subtype. OBJECTIVE To describe a case series, analyzing patients survival in four MBC cases. METHODS The cases were obtained from 532 medical records of breast cancer patients (0.7% of the total). RESULTS All patients were female. Mean patient age was 49 years (range: 38-60 years). Mean tumor size was 8.9 cm (range: 3.0-15.5 cm). Mastectomy was performed in three cases. One patient had axillary nodal metastasis. All underwent chemotherapy and three received radiation therapy after surgery. CONCLUSIONS With a mean follow-up of 36 months (range: 10-60 months), one case had a tumor recurrence (25%). Three patients (75%) died from metastatic disease and one (25%) is still alive and free of disease.
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16
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González-Martínez S, Pérez-Mies B, Pizarro D, Caniego-Casas T, Cortés J, Palacios J. Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition and Immune Response in Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147398. [PMID: 34299016 PMCID: PMC8306902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a heterogeneous group of infrequent triple negative (TN) invasive carcinomas with poor prognosis. MBCs have a different clinical behavior from other types of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), being more resistant to standard chemotherapy. MBCs are an example of tumors with activation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). The mechanisms involved in EMT could be responsible for the increase in the infiltrative and metastatic capacity of MBCs and resistance to treatments. In addition, a relationship between EMT and the immune response has been seen in these tumors. In this sense, MBC differ from other TN tumors showing a lower number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILS) and a higher percentage of tumor cells expressing programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). A better understanding of the relationship between the immune system and EMT could provide new therapeutic approaches in MBC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Belén Pérez-Mies
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Institute Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain; (D.P.); (T.C.-C.)
- CIBER-ONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, 28801 Madrid, Spain
| | - David Pizarro
- Institute Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain; (D.P.); (T.C.-C.)
| | - Tamara Caniego-Casas
- Institute Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain; (D.P.); (T.C.-C.)
| | - Javier Cortés
- CIBER-ONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
- International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Quironsalud Group, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
- Medica Scientia Innovation Research, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
- Medica Scientia Innovation Research, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, USA
- Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.C.); (J.P.)
| | - José Palacios
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Institute Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain; (D.P.); (T.C.-C.)
- CIBER-ONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, 28801 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.C.); (J.P.)
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17
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Kim I, Rajamanickam V, Bernard B, Chun B, Wu Y, Martel M, Sun Z, Redmond WL, Sanchez K, Basho R, McArthur H, Page DB. A Case Series of Metastatic Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma Treated With Anti-PD-1 Therapy. Front Oncol 2021; 11:635237. [PMID: 34168978 PMCID: PMC8217650 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.635237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metaplastic breast cancer is a rare and often chemo-refractory subtype of breast cancer with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Recent studies have reported overexpression of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in metaplastic breast cancers, and there are several reports of anti-PD-1/L1 being potentially active in this disease. In this case series, we present 5 patients with metastatic metaplastic breast cancer treated with anti-PD-1-based therapy at a single center, with 3 of 5 cases demonstrating a response to therapy, and one of the responding cases being a metaplastic lobular carcinoma with low-level hormone receptor expression. Cases were evaluated for PD-L1 expression, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), DNA mutations, RNA sequencing, and T-cell receptor sequencing. Duration of the response in these cases was limited, in contrast to the more durable responses noted in other recently published reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Kim
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Venkatesh Rajamanickam
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Brady Bernard
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Brie Chun
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Yaping Wu
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Maritza Martel
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Zhaoyu Sun
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - William L. Redmond
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Katherine Sanchez
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Reva Basho
- Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Heather McArthur
- Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - David B. Page
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, United States
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18
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Zhong S, Zhou S, Li A, Lv H, Li M, Tang S, Xu X, Shui R, Yang W. High frequency of PIK3CA and TERT promoter mutations in fibromatosis-like spindle cell carcinomas. J Clin Pathol 2021; 75:477-482. [PMID: 33952589 DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2020-207071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Fibromatosis-like spindle cell carcinomas (FLSCCs) are rare metaplastic breast cancers (MBCs) that are characterised by bland spindle cells in a collagenous stroma. Although some MBCs are highly malignant, FLSCCs have indolent behaviour with low potential for lymph node or distant metastasis. Owing to their rarity, there are limited genomic data on FLSCCs. In this study, we analysed the clinicopathological features and molecular characteristics of four FLSCCs to elucidate the pathogenesis of these rare tumours. METHODS AND RESULTS Four pure FLSCCs were sequenced by DIAN (Hangzhou Lab) using a 324-gene platform (FoundationOne CDx) with licensed technologies. The results showed that most FLSCCs harboured the pathogenic H1047R mutation in PIK3CA (3/4, 75%) and the -124C>T mutation in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter (3/4, 75%). No copy number variations were observed in any cases in our study. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that PIK3CA and TERT promoter mutations were common genetic features of FLSCCs. These findings contribute to our understanding of FLSCCs biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuling Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Anqi Li
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Lv
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaoxian Tang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoli Xu
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruohong Shui
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Wentao Yang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
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19
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McCart Reed AE, Kalaw EM, Lakhani SR. An Update on the Molecular Pathology of Metaplastic Breast Cancer. BREAST CANCER-TARGETS AND THERAPY 2021; 13:161-170. [PMID: 33664587 PMCID: PMC7924111 DOI: 10.2147/bctt.s296784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC) is a fascinating morphologic sub-type of breast cancer, characterised by intra-tumoural heterogeneity. By definition, these tumors show regions of metaplasia that can present as spindle, squamous, chondroid or even osseous differentiation. MpBC are typically triple-negative, and are therefore not targetable with hormone therapy or anti-HER2 therapies, leaving only chemotherapeutics for management. MpBC are known for their aggressive course and poor response to chemotherapy. We review herein the pathology and molecular landscape of MpBC and discuss opportunities for targetted therapies as well as immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E McCart Reed
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Emarene M Kalaw
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sunil R Lakhani
- UQ Centre for Clinical Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Pathology Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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20
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Gadaleta-Caldarola G, Nenna R, Lanotte L, Doronzo A, Gadaleta-Caldarola A, Roma ID, Lombardi L, Infusino S. Metaplastic breast cancer: an old histotype but a current therapeutic problem. Future Oncol 2021; 17:955-963. [PMID: 33538176 DOI: 10.2217/fon-2020-0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metaplastic breast cancer (MPBC) is a rare and aggressive tumor type in great need of satisfactory therapies. Although most cases of MPBC are 'triple negative', they are nonetheless related to worse outcomes compared with other triple-negative invasive tumors. MPBC presents high levels of genetic and molecular heterogeneity, suggesting that novel targeted therapies can be exploited. Overexpression of PD-L1 and high levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes have also been observed in these tumors, suggesting a role for immunotherapy. We present an updated literature revision on clinical, histopathological and molecular features of MPBC and their significance to prognosis and therapy options. We discuss emerging efforts to improve and personalize prognostic and therapeutic approaches, exploiting the molecular signature of MPBC with targeted therapies and immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosanna Nenna
- Anatomic Patology Unit, "L. Bonomo" Hospital, Andria (BT), ASL BT, 76123, Italy
| | - Laura Lanotte
- Medical Oncology Unit, "Mons. R. Dimiccoli" Hospital, Barletta (BT), ASL BT, 76121, Italy
| | - Antonio Doronzo
- Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Ospedali Riuniti", Foggia, 71100, Italy
| | | | - Ileana de Roma
- Medical Oncology Unit, "Mons. R. Dimiccoli" Hospital, Barletta (BT), ASL BT, 76121, Italy
| | - Lucia Lombardi
- Medical Oncology Unit, "Mons. R. Dimiccoli" Hospital, Barletta (BT), ASL BT, 76121, Italy
| | - Stefania Infusino
- Medical Oncology Unit, "SS. Annunziata" Hospital, Cosenza (CS), Azienda Ospedaliera di Cosenza, 87100, Italy
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21
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Starzyńska A, Adamska P, Sejda A, Sakowicz-Burkiewicz M, Adamski ŁJ, Marvaso G, Wychowański P, Jereczek-Fossa BA. Any Role of PIK3CA and PTEN Biomarkers in the Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma? Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E325. [PMID: 33287350 PMCID: PMC7761816 DOI: 10.3390/life10120325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for 95% of the lesions in the oral cavity. Despite development in OSCC management, the outcome is still unsatisfactory. Identification of new therapies in OSCC is urgently needed. One objective of such treatment may be a signaling pathway of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. The study group included 92 patients treated for OSCC at the University Clinical Centre in Gdańsk, Poland. Study was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples from primary OSCC. Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PIK3CA) and phosphatase and tensin homolog encoded on chromosome 10 (PTEN) protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). PIK3CA gene copy number was analyzed using chromogenic and silver in situ hybridization where molecular probes are marked by chromogens and silver ions. PIK3CA IHC H-score ≥ 70 was found in 51.65% patients, and loss of PTEN protein was noticed in 31.46% cases. PIK3CA amplification was detected in 5 tumors. In the case of PTEN protein expression, there was an inverse correlation with the T stage of the primary tumor (r = -0.243) and positive correlation with a 5-year survival (r = 0.235). The number of copies of the PIK3CA gene was associated with the tumor grading (r = 0.208). The present study shows that loss of PTEN protein and the grading (p = 0.040), distant metastases (p = 0.033), smoking (p = 0.016), and alcohol abuse (p = 0.042) were prognostic factors for the survival of patients with OSCC. In contrast, the presence of amplification and OSCC on the floor of the mouth resulted in a nearly six-fold increase in the risk of shortening survival (p = 0.037). Our finding suggests a potential prognostic significance of PTEN loss and PIK3CA amplification in OSCC. Future studies are needed to confirm our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Starzyńska
- Department of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk, 7 Dębinki Street, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland; (P.A.); (Ł.J.A.)
| | - Paulina Adamska
- Department of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk, 7 Dębinki Street, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland; (P.A.); (Ł.J.A.)
| | - Aleksandra Sejda
- Department of Pathomorphology, University of Warmia and Mazury, 18 Żołnierska Street, 10-561 Olsztyn, Poland;
| | - Monika Sakowicz-Burkiewicz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, 17 Smoluchowskiego Street, 80-214 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Łukasz Jan Adamski
- Department of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk, 7 Dębinki Street, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland; (P.A.); (Ł.J.A.)
| | - Giulia Marvaso
- Division of Radiotherapy, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, 435 Ripamonti Street, 20-141 Milan, Italy; (G.M.); (B.A.J.-F.)
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, 7 Festa del Perdono Street, 20-112 Milan, Italy
| | - Piotr Wychowański
- Department of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, 6 Binieckiego Street, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Barbara Alicja Jereczek-Fossa
- Division of Radiotherapy, IEO European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, 435 Ripamonti Street, 20-141 Milan, Italy; (G.M.); (B.A.J.-F.)
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, 7 Festa del Perdono Street, 20-112 Milan, Italy
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22
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Reddy TP, Rosato RR, Li X, Moulder S, Piwnica-Worms H, Chang JC. A comprehensive overview of metaplastic breast cancer: clinical features and molecular aberrations. Breast Cancer Res 2020; 22:121. [PMID: 33148288 PMCID: PMC7640663 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-020-01353-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC) is an exceedingly rare breast cancer variant that is therapeutically challenging and aggressive. MpBC is defined by the histological presence of at least two cellular types, typically epithelial and mesenchymal components. This variant harbors a triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) phenotype, yet has a worse prognosis and decreased survival compared to TNBC. There are currently no standardized treatment guidelines specifically for MpBC. However, prior studies have found that MpBC typically has molecular alterations in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, amplification of epidermal growth factor receptor, PI3K/Akt signaling, nitric oxide signaling, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, altered immune response, and cell cycle dysregulation. Some of these molecular alterations have been studied as therapeutic targets, in both the preclinical and clinical setting. This current review discusses the histological organization and cellular origins of MpBC, molecular alterations, the role of radiation therapy, and current clinical trials for MpBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejaswini P Reddy
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, 8447 Riverside Pkwy, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Roberto R Rosato
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoxian Li
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Stacy Moulder
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Helen Piwnica-Worms
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jenny C Chang
- Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Ave, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, OPC 24, 6445 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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23
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Matikas A, Zerdes I, Lövrot J, Sifakis E, Richard F, Sotiriou C, Rassidakis G, Bergh J, Valachis A, Foukakis T. PD-1 protein and gene expression as prognostic factors in early breast cancer. ESMO Open 2020; 5:e001032. [PMID: 33172959 PMCID: PMC7656908 DOI: 10.1136/esmoopen-2020-001032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a paucity of data on the prognostic value of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) protein and gene expression in early breast cancer (BC) and the present study's aim was to comprehensively investigate it. METHODS The study consisted of three parts: a correlative analysis of PD-1 protein and gene expression from an original patient cohort of 564 patients with early BC; a systematic review and trial-level meta-analysis on the association between PD-1 protein expression and disease-free survival/overall survival (OS) in early BC; and a pooled gene expression analysis from publicly available transcriptomic datasets regarding PDCD1 expression. RESULTS In the study cohort, PD-1 protein, but not gene expression, was associated with improved OS (HRadj=0.73, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.97, p=0.027 and HRadj=0.88, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.13, p=0.312, respectively). In the trial-level meta-analysis, PD-1 protein expression was not found to be statistically significantly associated with outcomes in the overall population. Finally, in the pooled gene expression analysis, higher PDCD1 expression was associated with better OS in multivariable analysis in the entire population (HRadj=0.89, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.99, p=0.025) and in basal-like tumours. CONCLUSIONS PD-1 protein and gene expression seem to be promising prognostic factors in early BC. Standardisation of detection and assessment methods is of utmost importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexios Matikas
- Breast Center, Theme Cancer, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ioannis Zerdes
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - John Lövrot
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emmanouil Sifakis
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Christos Sotiriou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institute Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Georgios Rassidakis
- Department of Pathology and Cytology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Bergh
- Breast Center, Theme Cancer, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antonis Valachis
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Theodoros Foukakis
- Breast Center, Theme Cancer, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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24
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Lien HC, Lee YH, Chen IC, Lin CH, Chen TWW, Lu YT, Lu YS. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte abundance and programmed death-ligand 1 expression in metaplastic breast carcinoma: implications for distinct immune microenvironments in different metaplastic components. Virchows Arch 2020; 478:669-678. [PMID: 33089401 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-020-02954-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Both stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) affect responses to immunotherapy; however, the extent of sTIL and PD-L1 expression within various metaplastic components in metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC), which are critical for the characterization of immune microenvironments, remains unreported. We profiled sTIL infiltration and PD-L1 expression in different metaplastic components of specimens from 82 MBC patients. The overall positivity for high or intermediate (H/I) sTIL, immune cell-PD-L1 (IcPD-L1), and tumor cell-PD-L1 (TcPD-L1) was 34.1%, 47.6%, and 17.1%, respectively, but differences specific to MBC subtypes and each metaplastic component existed. Squamous cell carcinoma exhibited the highest positivity rates of sTIL(H/I) (50.0%) and IcPD-L1 (66.7%), while matrix-producing carcinoma had the lowest respective rates (14.3% and 28.6%). The positivity rates of sTIL(H/I) and IcPD-L1 were the highest in squamous component (Sq) and the lowest in chondroid component (Ch). All cases that had discordant sTIL categories between carcinoma of no special type (NST) and metaplastic components showed sTIL(H/I) positivity higher in Sq, but lower in spindled component (Sp) and Ch. While there was no pattern of higher IcPD-L1-positivity in Sp, six of the seven cases that were TcPD-L1-discordant between NST and Sp were TcPD-L1-positive in Sp, suggesting a trend for higher TcPD-L1 in Sp. The diagnostic predictability of total tumor IcPD-L1 positivity based on IcPD-L1 positivity in Sq and Ch was 95.2% and 33.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that sTIL(H/I) positivity, but not PD-L1 positivity, correlated with better survival. Our data implicate distinct immune microenvironments in different metaplastic components in MBC, which may have immunopathologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huang-Chun Lien
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Pathology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hsuang Lee
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Chun Chen
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, 10016, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Hung Lin
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, 10016, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tom Wei-Wu Chen
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, 10016, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Tong Lu
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Shen Lu
- Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, 10016, Taiwan. .,Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
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25
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Stephen N, Jinkala S, Ch Toi P, Ganesh RN, Bheemanathi Hanuman S, Badhe BA, Gochhait D, Dubashi B. Descriptive study of the histopathological subtypes and programmed death-ligand 1 in metaplastic breast carcinoma. Breast J 2020; 26:2371-2375. [PMID: 32959535 DOI: 10.1111/tbj.14056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma (MBC) is a rare heterogeneous group of tumors, the incidence of which is less than 1% of breast tumors. These are a unique set of tumors with varying subtypes, poor prognosis, and an increased chance of distant metastasis. We aimed to study the clinical, histomorphological, and immunohistochemical (IHC) features of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma (MBC). This was a descriptive study of cases diagnosed as MBC at a tertiary care center in Southern India from January 2015 to December 2019. A total of 20 cases were diagnosed whose clinical, histomorphological, and IHC features were studied. PD-L1and CD8 IHC were performed and analyzed in 12 cases. The median age of presentation was 50 years. Seventy percent (14/20) patients were postmenopausal women. On excision, 75% (15/20) showed mixed typed MBC, the remainder showing epithelial type MBC. Metastasis to axillary lymph node was seen only in 20% (4/20) of the cases. Thirty percent (6/20) of the cases belonged to stage 3 disease and 5% (1/20) of the cases belonged to stage 4 disease with liver metastasis. Estrogen receptor (ER), Progesterone receptor (PR) were negative in all the cases, Her2neu was positive in three cases. Ki67 labeling index was greater than 14% in all the cases. PD-L1was positive in 41.5% of the cases and intratumoral CD8 positive lymphocytes were increased in 83.3% of the cases. MBCs are tumors occurring in elderly postmenopausal women, presenting with large tumor size, have lesser chances of lymph node metastasis, and a higher chance of recurrence and hematogenous spread. They are negative for ER, PR, Her-2 neu, with a high Ki67 index and a strong PDL-1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pampa Ch Toi
- Department of Pathology, JIPMER, Puducherry, India
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26
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González-Martínez S, Pérez-Mies B, Carretero-Barrio I, Palacios-Berraquero ML, Perez-García J, Cortés J, Palacios J. Molecular Features of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma: An Infrequent Subtype of Triple Negative Breast Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12071832. [PMID: 32650408 PMCID: PMC7408634 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a heterogeneous group of infrequent invasive carcinomas that display differentiation of the neoplastic epithelium towards squamous cells and/or mesenchymal-type elements. Most MBC have a triple negative phenotype and poor prognosis. Thus, MBC have worse survival rates than other invasive breast carcinomas, including other triple negative breast carcinomas (TNBC). In this study, we reviewed the molecular features of MBC, pointing out the differences among subtypes. The most frequently mutated genes in MBC were TP53 and PIK3CA. Additionally, mutations in the other genes of the PI3K/AKT pathway indicated its importance in the pathogenesis of MBC. Regarding copy number variations (CNVs), MYC was the most frequently amplified gene, and the most frequent gene loss affected the CDKN2A/CDKN2B locus. Furthermore, the pattern of mutations and CNVs of MBC differed from those reported in other TNBC. However, the molecular profile of MBC was not homogeneous among histological subtypes, being the alterations in the PI3K pathway most frequent in spindle cell carcinomas. Transcriptomic studies have demonstrated an epithelial to mesenchymal program activation and the enrichment of stemness genes in most MBC. In addition, current studies are attempting to define the immune microenvironment of these tumors. In conclusion, due to specific molecular features, MBC have a different clinical behavior from other types of TNBC, being more resistant to standard chemotherapy. For this reason, new therapeutic approaches based on tumor molecular characteristics are needed to treat MBC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Belén Pérez-Mies
- Pathology Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain; (B.P.-M.); (I.C.-B.)
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
- CIBER-ONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, 28801 Madrid, Spain
- Breast Pathology Unit, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28801 Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene Carretero-Barrio
- Pathology Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain; (B.P.-M.); (I.C.-B.)
| | | | - José Perez-García
- IOB Institute of Oncology, Quironsalud Group, Hospital Quiron, 08023 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Javier Cortés
- CIBER-ONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- IOB Institute of Oncology, Quironsalud Group, Hospital Quiron, 08023 Barcelona, Spain;
- IOB Institute of Oncology, Quironsalud Group, 28006 Madrid, Spain
- Medica Scientia Innovation Research, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
- Medica Scientia Innovation Research, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, USA
- Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.C.); (J.P.)
| | - José Palacios
- Pathology Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain; (B.P.-M.); (I.C.-B.)
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
- CIBER-ONC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, 28801 Madrid, Spain
- Breast Pathology Unit, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28801 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.C.); (J.P.)
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Testa U, Castelli G, Pelosi E. Breast Cancer: A Molecularly Heterogenous Disease Needing Subtype-Specific Treatments. Med Sci (Basel) 2020; 8:E18. [PMID: 32210163 PMCID: PMC7151639 DOI: 10.3390/medsci8010018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women. There were over two-million new cases in world in 2018. It is the second leading cause of death from cancer in western countries. At the molecular level, breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, which is characterized by high genomic instability evidenced by somatic gene mutations, copy number alterations, and chromosome structural rearrangements. The genomic instability is caused by defects in DNA damage repair, transcription, DNA replication, telomere maintenance and mitotic chromosome segregation. According to molecular features, breast cancers are subdivided in subtypes, according to activation of hormone receptors (estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor), of human epidermal growth factors receptor 2 (HER2), and or BRCA mutations. In-depth analyses of the molecular features of primary and metastatic breast cancer have shown the great heterogeneity of genetic alterations and their clonal evolution during disease development. These studies have contributed to identify a repertoire of numerous disease-causing genes that are altered through different mutational processes. While early-stage breast cancer is a curable disease in about 70% of patients, advanced breast cancer is largely incurable. However, molecular studies have contributed to develop new therapeutic approaches targeting HER2, CDK4/6, PI3K, or involving poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors for BRCA mutation carriers and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Testa
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (E.P.)
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Molecular Profiling of the Metaplastic Spindle Cell Carcinoma of the Breast Reveals Potentially Targetable Biomarkers. Clin Breast Cancer 2020; 20:326-331.e1. [PMID: 32197944 DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2020.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Spindle cell carcinoma is a rare subtype of metaplastic breast cancer, with triple-negative (TNBC: estrogen receptor-negative/progesterone receptor-negative/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative) phenotype. It is associated with a marked resistance to conventional chemotherapy and has an overall poor outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-three pure spindle cell carcinomas of the breast (18 primary and 5 recurrent/metastatic) were comprehensively explored for biomarkers of immuno-oncology and targeted therapies using immunohistochemistry and DNA/RNA sequencing. RESULTS The majority (21/23) of spindle cell carcinomas were TNBC. Estrogen and androgen receptor expression above the therapeutic thresholds were detected in 2 cases each. Pathogenic gene mutations were identified in 21 of 23 cases, including PIK3CA, TP53, HRAS, NF1, and PTEN. One case with matched pre- and post-chemotherapy samples exhibited a consistent mutational profile (PIK3CA and HRAS mutations) in both samples. Gene amplifications were present in 5 cases, including 1 case without detectable mutations. The spindle cell carcinomas cohort had consistently low total mutational burden (all below the 80th percentile for the entire TNBC cohort). All tumors were microsatellite stable. Programmed death-ligand 1 expression was observed on both tumor cells (in 7/21 cases), and in tumor-infiltrating immune cells (2/21 cases). CONCLUSIONS Spindle cell carcinomas are characterized by targetable molecular alterations in the majority of cases, but owing to the lack of uniform findings, individual patient profiling is necessary. Detection of individual combinations of biomarkers should improve treatment options for this rare but aggressive disease.
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