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Morphological characteristics of basal-like subtype of breast carcinoma with special reference to cytopathological features

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  • Current issues and perspectives on breast cancer diagnosis
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Abstract

Expression profiling of invasive breast carcinomas by DNA microarray techniques has identified five distinct subtypes of tumors (luminal A, luminal B, normal breast-like, HER2 overexpression, and basal-like) that are associated with different clinical outcomes and with different chemotherapy. Basal-like carcinoma is associated with younger patient age, high histological grade, aggressive clinical course, development of distant metastasis, poor prognosis, and relatively high mortality rate. Basal-like carcinomas do not express estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, or HER2 (triple-negative phenotype). Therefore, patients with basal-like carcinomas are not likely to benefit from endocrine therapies or trastuzumab, but are likely to benefit from systemic chemotherapy. Although genetic, morphological, and immunohistochemical features of basal-like carcinomas have been reported, there is no universal definition for those tumors. Furthermore, there are no specific morphological and immunohistochemical features that can identify those tumors in routine diagnostic materials. In the present paper, we present data of histological and cytological features of basal-like breast carcinoma, and discuss about its morphological spectrum.

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Abbreviations

CK:

Cytokeratin

ER:

Estrogen receptor

PR:

Progesterone receptor

HER2:

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2

EGFR:

Epidermal growth factor receptor

IHC:

Immunohistochemistry

IDC:

Invasive ductal carcinoma

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Pathology, Matsusaka Chuo General Hospital, 102 Kobou, Kawai-cho, Matsusaka, Mie, 515-8566, Japan

    Akinori Ishihara

  2. Pathology Section, Clinical Laboratory Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Hitoshi Tsuda

  3. Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Mie University Hospital, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan

    Kakuya Kitagawa

  4. Department of Pathology, Mie University School of Medicine, 145 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-0001, Japan

    Misao Yoneda & Taizou Shiraishi

Authors
  1. Akinori Ishihara
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  2. Hitoshi Tsuda
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  3. Kakuya Kitagawa
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  4. Misao Yoneda
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  5. Taizou Shiraishi
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Correspondence to Akinori Ishihara.

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Ishihara, A., Tsuda, H., Kitagawa, K. et al. Morphological characteristics of basal-like subtype of breast carcinoma with special reference to cytopathological features. Breast Cancer 16, 179–185 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-009-0108-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-009-0108-x

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