Case Report

Carcinosarcoma of the Breast: A Case Report

  • Füsun Taşkın
  • Serdar Özbaş
  • Muhan Erkuş

Received Date: 10.05.2010 Accepted Date: 20.09.2010 Meandros Med Dent J 2011;12(2):33-35

Carcinosarcoma of the breast represents a ductal carcinoma which consists sarcoma like component. Both malign epithelial and malign mesenchymal elements exist together in the breast carcinosarcoma. Glandular epithelium differentiates into non-glandular mesenchymal tissue, a process called metaplasia. Metaplastic breast malignancy is a rare type of the breast cancer, moreover carcinosarcoma is the rarest subtype which is less than 1% of the whole breast cancers. There are limited studies and case reports of carcinosarcoma in literature. Fourty-four aged woman applied to breast diseases polyclinic with palpable mass on her left breast. We evaluated the findings of the physical examination, mammography and ultrasound. On radiological evaluation we determined a lobulated complex mass with solid and cystic components. Histopathological examination resulted as carcinosarcoma. Lumpectomy and axillary dissection were performed. One axillary lymph node was metastatic out of 16 lymph nodes. There were no distant metastases. Our purpose is to define the radiologic findings about this rare tumour and to review the literature.

Keywords: Metaplastic breast cancer, carcinosarcoma, breast cancer