Special types of breast cancer and non-epithelial tumors

Abstract

Since the early twenties of the past century, when according to Dr. Borst only five breast tumor subtypes had been identified (Borst, 1925), the histopathological classification of breast carcinomas has been profoundly modified, in order to refine its diagnostic efficiency and to embody the results flourishing from basic science [1]. Histopathology has been therefore relentlessly evolving for the accomplishment of two main tasks: providing prognostic information and predicting the response to surgical and medical treatments. In the early seventies, Dr. Haagensen pointed out in his book entitled Diseases of the Breast his "…hope to sort out from among them (breast tumors)…, additional characteristic types of breast carcinomas,” in an attempt to ascertain their clinical-pathological correlation. He emphasized the need to consider in situ lesions as “fully malignant,” recommending the same “drastic” surgical cure usually applied to invasive tumors [2]. This attitude clearly illustrates how physicians have been tailoring the treatment of breast cancer to histopathological features since the beginning of modern oncology.