A comprehensive overview of metaplastic breast cancer: clinical features and molecular aberrations

• Published in: Breast cancer research : BCR Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 121 - 11
• Main Authors: Reddy, Tejaswini P., Rosato, Roberto R., Li, Xiaoxian, Moulder, Stacy, Piwnica-Worms, Helen, Chang, Jenny C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 04.11.2020; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: 1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; AKT protein; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Cancer Research; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell cycle; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemotherapy; Clinical trials; Comparative analysis; Epidermal growth factor; Epidermal growth factors; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; Female; Gene expression; Genes, Neoplasm - genetics; Genomics; Humans; Immune response; Kinases; Medical prognosis; Mesenchyme; Metaplasia - genetics; Metaplasia - metabolism; Metaplasia - pathology; Metaplasia - therapy; Metaplastic breast cancer; Molecular Targeted Therapy - methods; Morphology; Mutation; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide Synthase - metabolism; NOS signaling; Oncology; Phenotypes; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - metabolism; PI3K signaling; Prognosis; Proteomics; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Review; Smooth muscle; Stem cells; Surgical Oncology; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Tumors; Wnt protein; Wnt Signaling Pathway; β-Catenin; Metaplastic breast cancer; PI3K signaling; Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; NOS signaling
• ISSN: 1465-542X; 1465-5411; 1465-542X
• DOI: 10.1186/s13058-020-01353-z

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.