Carcinoma derived from the lining epithelial cells in malignant phyllodes tumor is a rare neoplasm of the breast and belongs to the category of carcinosarcoma. We report a case of ductal carcinoma with squamous differentiation arising in malignant phyllodes tumor. A 54-year-old woman was admitted with a rapidly enlarging left breast mass. A breast tumor with a diameter of 6 cm was located mainly in the left outer area of the breast. Mammography revealed a high-density mass with an irregular margin and ultrasound showed a cystic tumor. A pathological diagnosis of ductal carcinoma with squamous differentiation was made by fine needle aspiration and a core needle biopsy. She underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by a modified radical mastectomy with a skin flap. Histopathological examination revealed that the invasive ductal carcinoma with squamous differentiation originated from the lining epithelial cells in malignant phyllodes tumor and that there was no transition area between the carcinomatous and the sarcomatous component. She experienced lung and facial bone metastases, microscopic features of which were consistent with the sarcomatous component of the original breast carcinosarcoma. This is an extremely rare case of carcinosarcoma and the histopathological findings and review of the literature are discussed.

The prognosis of patients with metastatic or recurrent breast cancer (MBC) is improving as novel treatments are developed. The present study compared the clinical characteristics of patients with MBC with or without a complete clinical response (cCR) and identified the survival-associated factors. This was a retrospective study, which included 171 patients treated for MBC between 2011 and 2017 at the Shiga Medical Center for Adults. Neutrophil to lymphocytes ratios (NLRs) were determined in blood samples. The median follow-up period following diagnosis of MBC was 44 months (range, 0-217 months). A total of 32 patients (18.7%) achieved a cCR. Compared with the non-cCR group, the cCR group had significantly fewer metastases or recurrences (P<0.001), significantly fewer visceral metastases (P<0.001), a significantly lower NLR (P<0.001) and were diagnosed with primary breast cancer at a significantly earlier stage (P=0.003). Prognosis was significantly improved in the cCR group compared with the non-cCR group (P<0.001) and a high NLR (≥19) independently predicted worse survival in a multivariate analysis (P=0.0218; hazard ratio, 1.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-2.85). In conclusion, the present study determined that achieving a cCR and having a low NLR are important for the long-term survival of patients with MBC.

Standard multidisciplinary treatment for breast cancer prevents recurrence and metastasis and tends to extend breast cancer-specific survival even in elderly patients.

BackgroundPrimary amyloidosis of the breast is an unusual benign disease that mostly occurs in postmenopausal elderly women. Amyloidosis is the deposition of amorphous protein within tissues. Breast biopsy is necessary to make a definite diagnosis in order to avoid unnecessary surgical methods. Localized primary amyloidosis of the breast has a good prognosis. However, secondary amyloidosis is a systemic disease and has a poor prognosis.Case presentationWe report the case of a 77-year-old female with primary amyloidosis of the breast. She noticed a lump in her left breast. Mammographic and ultrasonographic examinations indicated breast cancer. However, core needle biopsy showed amyloidosis, not cancer of the breast. For further examinations, the patient visited the outpatient clinics of the hematology, dermatology, and gastroenterology departments. She underwent bone marrow aspiration, computed tomography, cardiac ultrasonography, random skin biopsy, gastrofiberscopy, and colonofiberscopy. Plasma cell myeloma and systemic amyloidosis were ruled out, and localized breast amyloidosis was highly suspected. Lumpectomy was performed to make a definite diagnosis, and histological evaluations revealed that this patient had localized amyloidosis of the breast, and the deposited amyloid protein was of the amyloid light chain kappa type.ConclusionsBreast biopsy is necessary in order to avoid unnecessary surgical technique. A diagnosis should be achieved only through a histological evaluation. The main treatment of localized primary amyloidosis of the breast is surgical removal.