Metaplastic breast cancer: Experience with ifosfamide based chemotherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Research

Background:

• Metaplastic breast cancer (MPBC) is a rare subtype with poor response to standard chemotherapy.
• Current treatment protocols often adapt guidelines for triple-negative breast cancer, yet efficacy remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ifosfamide and Adriamycin (IA) combination chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for metaplastic breast cancer.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of MPBC patients treated with first-line IA chemotherapy.
• Evaluation of clinical, demographic, and pathological profiles.
• Assessment of treatment outcomes and chemotherapy-related toxicities.

Main Results:

• Four MPBC patients received IA chemotherapy; all had triple-negative tumors.
• Tumor characteristics included large size (median 7.5 cm) and high grade.
• One complete response, one partial response, and one progression observed; localized disease patient remains disease-free.
• Common toxicities included Grade 3-4 neutropenia and Grade 2 anemia.

Conclusions:

• The IA regimen shows comparable response rates to anthracycline-taxane combinations in MPBC.
• IA chemotherapy may be a viable option for primary or salvage systemic therapy in MPBC.
• MPBC treated with IA regimen exhibited slightly higher hematological toxicity.