Metaplastic Breast Cancer
- Surviving Breast Cancer
- Aug 7, 2022
- 2 min read
By Candace Bloomstrand
Metaplastic breast cancer is a rare form of breast cancer. This type of breast cancer accounts for less than 1% of all breast cancers, but it can also behave more aggressively.
Metaplastic tumors look and behave differently from other types of breast cancer tumors. Metaplastic tumors are often (but not always) triple-negative, meaning that they test negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors and the HER2 protein. The tumors often contain types of tissue not normally found in the breast, such as squamous cells or osseous cells. Metaplastic tumors are also often larger at diagnosis than other breast cancer tumors and more likely to metastasize.
To access our podcast with Jessica Duemig, author of Warrior, Challenge Accepted, please click on the image to the right to hear more about her experience with metaplastic breast cancer.
Because metaplastic tumors are quite rare and often triple-negative, treatment options are limited and vary depending on the size and location of the tumor, whether the cancer has metastasized, and the patient’s overall health and age at diagnosis. Surgery, either via a lumpectomy or a mastectomy, and radiation therapy are often recommended. Metaplastic breast cancer is also more likely than other breast cancers to recur after treatment, so your doctor may recommend systemic therapy as well.
Note: This article offers general information and does not replace professional medical advice. Make sure to discuss your options with your healthcare provider.
This grass-roots patient organization was started by a team of women, all diagnosed with metaplastic breast cancer, who are dedicated to helping to improve the outcome for all women in this community.
Upon facing the initial shock of a breast cancer diagnosis, we also found ourselves contending with a unique challenge: a form of breast cancer so rare that many of us did not even know it existed. Pre-diagnosis, most of us imagined breast cancer to be one entity, a single threat affecting mostly women (but some men as well), to be treated with the traditional approach of chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery. The reality is far more nuanced.
