A comprehensive overview of metaplastic breast cancer: Features and treatments

Abstract

Metaplastic breast cancer is a rare, aggressive, and chemotherapy‐resistant subtype of breast cancers, accounting for less than 1% of invasive breast cancers, characterized by adenocarcinoma with spindle cells, squamous epithelium, and/or mesenchymal tissue differentiation. The majority of metaplastic breast cancers exhibit the characteristics of triple‐negative breast cancer and have unfavorable prognoses with a lower survival rate. This subtype often displays gene alterations in the PI3K/AKT pathway, Wnt/β‐catenin pathway, and cell cycle dysregulation and demonstrates epithelial–mesenchymal transition, immune response changes, TP53 mutation, EGFR amplification, and so on. Currently, the optimal treatment of metaplastic breast cancer remains uncertain. This article provides a comprehensive review on the clinical features, molecular characteristics, invasion and metastasis patterns, and prognosis of metaplastic breast cancer, as well as recent advancements in treatment strategies.