Breast Cancer Subtypes: Clinicopathologic Features and Treatment Considerations

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of ten unique breast cancer subtypes and their clinicopathologic features and treatment implications. Recent findings show that while many subtypes (mucinous, papillary, tubular, apocrine) have favorable biology, with better overall survival than invasive ductal carcinoma, some (metaplastic, adenoid cystic) are more aggressive portending worse prognosis for patients. The differences in histology represented in these breast cancer subtypes often impacts biology, behavior, and prognosis. Due to their rarity, additional research is needed to implement clear treatment protocols for each subtype.