Carcinosarcoma of the Breast: A retrospective observational study

Background: Carcinosarcoma of the breast is an extremely rare breast condition, accounting for 0.1% of all breast malignancies. Limited data are available in English literature on this issue due to paucity of cases. Hence, we retrieved data of carcinosarcoma of breast for evaluation of clinicopathological characteristics, treatment, and outcome of this emerging issue. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted from January 2011 to December 2015 in our Department of Radiotherapy. A total of four patients were identified during this period for analysis in this study. Various parameters such as age, clinical features, clinical stage, and the treatment received by the patients were recorded and analyzed for outcome. Results and Discussion: Median age at the time of presentation was 42 years (range 28–46 years). Seventy five percent females were post-menopausal. The most common symptom was slowly growing lump in the breast. All of the patients, except one, were negative for oestrogen receptor/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) receptors. All patients underwent surgery followed by adjuvant therapy,except one. Median follow-up was 23 months (range 2–66 months). Conclusion: Carcinosarcoma of the breast is a rare entity with poor outcome. There are no specific treatment guidelines. Surgery is the main treatment modality, and it should be followed by adjuvant chemo and radiotherapy