An atypical course of breast cancer

Abstract

A 46-year old woman presented with a tumor in the left axilla. She had a resection of a breast tumor and an axillary lymph node dissection. The tumor of the breast was benign and in lymph node there was a metastasis of adenocarcinoma. In PET-CT there was a metabolically-active lesion nearby Spence’s tail area of the left breast. The woman had another resection of breast tumor and recurrent tumor in axilla. Breast tumor was benign but in lymph nodes metastases of adenocarcinoma probably from lung were found. In CT there were a single metastatic focus in a left lung and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes. The diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer stage IV was established. The patient received 4 cycles of cisplatin and gemcitabine with disease stabilization. Four months later she had PET-CT which showed a metabolically-active lesion in an axillary lymph node. The patient had radiotherapy on the area of armpit. Four months later she noticed a tumor of a left breast and underwent mastectomy. Microscopic sections were compared and a histopathologist indicated breast as a primary origin of lymph nodes metastases. The clinical diagnosis was changed to breast cancer metastatic to axillary lymph nodes and probably with single lung metastasis (metabolically-inactive) and suspected mediastinal lymph nodes. She received 4 cycles of doxorubicin with cyclophosphamide discontinued because of intolerance. Eight months later she had a CT scan which revealed a tumor of the hilus and enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes. Pathological examination confirmed metastasis from breast cancer and second-line chemotherapy was started.