Long-Lasting Complete Remission in a Patient With Metastatic Metaplastic Breast Cancer Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor and Chemotherapy: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

Abstract

Metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC) is a rare form of breast cancer known for suboptimal response to chemotherapy, high recurrence rate, poor prognosis, and limited treatment options. Recent studies have reported that MpBC has high expression of programmed death ligand 1 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, indicating the potential effectiveness of immunotherapy (IO) in MpBC. In addition, several reports have demonstrated the activity of IO in MpBC. In this case report, we present a case of recurrent MpBC that achieved durable, rapid, complete remission with atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) and nab-paclitaxel with a continued response even after discontinued therapy.