Path report says possible mets

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cenri76
cenri76 Member Posts: 31
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

It says that my breast tumor was possibly metastasized from somewhere else. Has anyone else had this happen?

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited June 2014

    Hi cenri76. 

    There is some information on the main BC.org site you might find helpful in understanding MetatasticBC while you wait for some replies.

    Local, Regional and Metastatic Reoccurance

    wishing you kind and healing thoughts 

    from the Mods

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  • bluepearl
    bluepearl Member Posts: 961
    edited June 2014

    Never heard of breast cancer coming from some other cancer elsewhere. They are usually primary cancers to begin with. You can have recurrences and/or new primaries. Mets are usually breast cancer cells as well....that is how doctors know when breast cancer has gone elsewhere. It may be in the bones or liver but it is breast cancer, NOT bone or liver cancer. I will have to look into this. Never heard of it.

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  • bluepearl
    bluepearl Member Posts: 961
    edited June 2014

    I checked and couldn't find any other cancer that mets TO the breast.

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  • bellydancer
    bellydancer Member Posts: 59
    edited June 2014

    I am unsure what your question is here. Are you asking if cancer can start somewhere else and move to the breast as mets?  Of if others have seen similar statements on their path reports? Maybe both : )

    Path reports for recurrent breast cancer are often worded in that way even thought it highly unlikely this has occurred.

    Is this a path report investigating a recurrence?

    Was this part of what the report said?

    Debra

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  • lekker
    lekker Member Posts: 594
    edited June 2014

    I'm pasting a response I posted a while ago when someone asked how they know if a cancerous tumor in the breast is really breast cancer or a metastasis from somewhere else.  While it is rare, other cancers can show up in the breast...

    Carcinoid tumors are rare neuroendocrine tumors that most often start in the GI tract or lungs and frequently metastasize - sometimes even to the breast. It is up to the pathologist to determine the origin of a tumor and they do so by looking for specific markers and utilizing different stains. From my research, other types of cancer can rarely metastasize to the breast including lymphoma and leukemia, melanoma, sarcoma, lung, gastric, ovarian, renal, and prostate (in men). Metastatic lesions in the breast tend to form in the subcutaneous fat rather than the ducts and lobules.

    Cenri76 - what does your path report say?

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  • cenri76
    cenri76 Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2014

    Bluepearl- I couldn't find anything either. I did read that it is possible, but very rare. But I do have Metaplastic BC, which is also very rare, so I won't rule it out. 

    Bellydancer- my question is has anyone else had their path report state this. No, this isn't a recurrence. This is my primary tumor....or so we think. The pathology report is saying it might not be the primary tumor.

    Lekker- my report says:

    "Sections of the breast lumpectomy show a multicystic lesion lined by malignant epithelial cells with high-grade morphology, squamoid features and comedonecrosis. Focal areas suspicious for invasion are present. A background of lactational change is noted. The provided immunostains from myoepithelial markers (calponin and p63) are absent around the carcinoma. The neoplastic cells are cytokeratin and e-cadherin positive. We repeated the myoepithelial markers on several sections which showed completely negative p63with patchy positive calponin and myosin in the neoplastic cells. We performed BRST, GATA-3 and CK20 stains which were negative in the neoplastic cells. Our CK7 stain is positive in the neoplastic cells. The Her2 immunostain shows 1+ staining.

    Our differential diagnosis includes metastatic carcinoma and metaplastic carcinoma. With negative breast and hormone markers, we cannot rule out a metastatic carcinoma. If this is a primary breast lesion, we think this would best fit a metaplastic carcinoma due to the high-grade morphology and squamoid features. We find the myoepithelial markers confusing and are unsure how much of the lesion is invasive. We think it is best to measure the whole lesion for size of invasion. "

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  • wrenn
    wrenn Member Posts: 2,707
    edited June 2014

    could this mean it is a met from elsewhere in the breast or would that be called local recurence or something else?  Lots of technical terms.  I hope you get answers. So hard to have to deal with unknowns.

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  • cenri76
    cenri76 Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2014

    To me, it sounds like it has no breast markers which means that it is mets from somewhere else. 

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  • wrenn
    wrenn Member Posts: 2,707
    edited June 2014

    can you ask your doctor to go over the path report with you step by step?  Will they be doing more investigating with scans to look for original?

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  • cenri76
    cenri76 Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2014

    He warned me of what it said and that he doesn't believe my breast tumor is mets. He believes it is a primary. He said we'll do a PET scan after this chemo regimen is done.

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  • cenri76
    cenri76 Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2014

    Kayb- thank you. I will look in to getting a second opinion on my path from John Hopkins. 

    Metaplastic is so rare that I could not figure out where to turn for a second opinion. 

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  • wrenn
    wrenn Member Posts: 2,707
    edited June 2014

    I was first diagnosed with IDC triple neg with metaplastic differential but the report my oncologist sent to my internist gave my Dx as metaplastic with no mention of IDC.  I think all this might be easier for people who don't look at reports. I have a neighbour with lung cancer (I think....since she doesn't really read any reports or even pay attention to what the physician says. She shows up for appointments for scans etc and carries on with her life. I get frustrated with her because I like details.

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  • cenri76
    cenri76 Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2014

    wrenn- I'm the same way. I need to know all the details. I feel fine though, even through chemo. 

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  • cenri76
    cenri76 Member Posts: 31
    edited June 2014

    I will. Thank you for the reference. 

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  • lekker
    lekker Member Posts: 594
    edited June 2014

    http://www.metaplasticbc.com/metaplastic-breast-ca...

    There are specific doctors mentioned in the research links - with this kind of rare cancer, you could probably contact them directly.  

    An informative link from Stanford...

    http://surgpathcriteria.stanford.edu/breast/metacabr/printable.html

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