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Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast

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Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast

ORPHA:213531Disease

What it is

Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast is a rare, aggressive subtype of invasive breast carcinoma characterized by rapid growth, relatively large tumor size and a tendency to metastasize to distant organs, particularly the lungs, with relatively less frequent involvement of the axillary lymph nodes. Histologically, the tumor shows high-grade cellularity and heterologous differentiation, including chondroid, osseous, pleomorphic/sarcomatoid, spindled, and squamous elements. Patients usually present with a fast-growing, large, well-circumscribed, mobile lump in the breast, which can become painful and involve the chest wall and the skin, leading to ulceration.

Key facts

Prevalence
<1 / 1 000 000 (annual incidence, Europe)
Age of onset
Adult
Classified as
Disease

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

ICD-10 codes

C50.0ICD-10 uses a narrower term — shared with 3 other rare diseases
C50.1ICD-10 uses a narrower term — shared with 2 other rare diseases
C50.2ICD-10 uses a narrower term — shared with 2 other rare diseases
C50.3ICD-10 uses a narrower term — shared with 2 other rare diseases
C50.4ICD-10 uses a narrower term — shared with 2 other rare diseases
C50.5ICD-10 uses a narrower term — shared with 2 other rare diseases
C50.6ICD-10 uses a narrower term — shared with 2 other rare diseases
C50.8ICD-10 uses a narrower term — shared with 2 other rare diseases

ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.

Related health topics

Breast CancerMale Breast Cancer

Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.

Cross-references

GARD 10804MEDDRA 10073100MONDO 0006043UMLS C1334708

Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Data version 2026-06-23. Available under CC BY 4.0. This is a reference, not medical advice.

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