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Introduction Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is a rare malignancy that accounts for < 1% of all breast cancers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics of MBC patients treated at a tertiary cancer center. Materials and methods In this study, the authors retrospectively analyzed the prospectively maintained data of MBC patients treated at a tertiary cancer care center in North India between January 2019 and July 2022. Results A total of 28 MBCs were identified. The median age of presentation was 47 years (range 27-81 years). Seventeen patients (60.7%) presented with clinical T3/T4 disease, and axillary nodal involvement was detected in 11 patients (39.3%) at presentation. Two patients had metastatic disease at presentation. A preoperative diagnosis of MBC on core biopsy was attained in five patients (17.9%), and the most common histologic subtype was sarcomatoid carcinoma. Triple-negative receptor status was observed in 15 patients (53.6%). Six patients (21.4%) underwent upfront breast conservation surgery and another six (21.4%) upfront mastectomy. Thirteen patients (46.4%) underwent mastectomy following neoadjuvant therapy. Definitive axillary nodal metastasis was found in eight patients (32%). Following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, five patients (35.7%) had stable disease, disease progression was evident in five patients (35.7%), partial response in four patients (28.6%), and no patient evinced complete response. Adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy was administered in 16 patients (57.1%). At a median follow-up of 13.2 months (range 4-26 months), 16 patients (57.1%) were alive with no evidence of disease, one patient (3.6%) was alive with disease, nine patients (32.1%) died of disease, and two patients (7.2%) died of other causes. One patient suffered from locoregional recurrence and nine patients developed distant metastasis. Conclusion MBC is an infrequent entity among breast carcinomas in India, which is similar to the reports of MBC worldwide. The diagnosis of MBC is difficult and requires the use of immunohistochemistry. Most of the cases in our study presented with a larger tumor size; however, they displayed a relatively lower incidence of nodal involvement as well as hormone receptor negativity. Being a rare and heterogeneous disease, large-scale studies are essential for better understanding and management of these tumors.
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Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain cancer in adults and has a poor prognosis. It is characterized by a high degree of cellular infiltration that leads to tumor recurrence, atypical hyperplasia, necrosis, and angiogenesis. Despite aggressive treatment modalities, current therapies are ineffective for GBM. Mouse GBM models not only provide a better understanding in the mechanisms of gliomagenesis, but also facilitate the drug discovery for treating this deadly cancer. A retroviral vector system that expresses PDGFBB (Platelet-derived growth factor BB) and inactivates PTEN (Phosphatase and tensin homolog) and P53 tumor suppressors provides a rapid and efficient induction of glioma in mice with full penetrance. In this protocol, we describe a simple and practical method for inducing GBM formation by retrovirus injection in the murine brain. This system gives a spatial and temporal control over the induction of glioma and allows the assessment of therapeutic effects with a bioluminescent reporter.