Case Report: Carcinoma en Cuirasse in a Middle-Aged Woman Mimicking Postirradiation Morphea

Breast carcinoma en cuirasse (CeC) is an extremely rare form of cutaneous metastases of breast cancer, characterized by diffuse sclerodermoid induration of the skin. It may be difficult to distinguish CeC from some skin diseases, including postirradiation morphea, inflammatory breast cancer, radiation dermatitis, and other cutaneous metastases, but it can be easily discerned by histology. Because of the small number of documented cases, the treatment consensus has not been clearly defined. Here, we show a 45-year-old woman with grade III infiltrating ductal carcinoma manifesting as CeC to the chest wall. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent the catastrophic natural progression of this rare malignancy.

Download Full-text

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) occurring during treatment for breast cancer

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2021-242472 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (8) ◽

pp. e242472

Author(s):

Deshveer Babra ◽

Suhyun Youn ◽

Senan Devendra

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Differential Diagnosis ◽

Beta Blocker ◽

Orthostatic Intolerance ◽

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome ◽

Common Condition ◽

Aged Woman ◽

Middle Aged Woman ◽

New Onset

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a common condition of orthostatic intolerance in response to changes in position. We report a case of a middle-aged woman presenting with a new onset of POTS likely due to chemotherapy for treatment of breast cancer. She was started on a trial of a beta blocker, which was effective in controlling her symptoms and heart rate. The objective of this report was to encourage clinicians to consider POTS as a differential diagnosis, while managing patients with symptoms of orthostatic intolerance.

Download Full-text

Estimating the natural progression of non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ breast cancer lesions using screening data

Journal of Medical Screening ◽

10.1177/0969141320945736 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 096914132094573 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Harald Weedon-Fekjær ◽

Xiaoxue Li ◽

Sandra Lee

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Confidence Interval ◽

Markov Model ◽

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Invasive Breast Cancer ◽

Sojourn Time ◽

Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Ductal Carcinoma ◽

Natural Progression

Objectives In addition to invasive breast cancer, mammography screening often detects preinvasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions. The natural progression of DCIS is largely unknown, leading to uncertainty regarding treatment. The natural history of invasive breast cancer has been studied using screening data. DCIS modeling is more complicated because lesions might progress to clinical DCIS, preclinical invasive cancer, or may also regress to a state undetectable by screening. We have here developed a Markov model for DCIS progression, building on the established invasive breast cancer model. Methods We present formulas for the probability of DCIS detection by time since last screening under a Markov model of DCIS progression. Progression rates were estimated by maximum likelihood estimation using BreastScreen Norway data from 1995–2002 for 336,533 women (including 399 DCIS cases) aged 50–69. As DCIS incidence varies by age, county, and mammography modality (digital vs. analog film), a Poisson regression approach was used to align the input data. Results Estimated mean sojourn time in preclinical, screening-detectable DCIS phase was 3.1 years (95% confidence interval: 1.3, 7.6) with a screening sensitivity of 60% (95% confidence interval: 32%, 93%). No DCIS was estimated to be non-progressive. Conclusion Most preclinical DCIS lesions progress or regress with a moderate sojourn time in the screening-detectable phase. While DCIS mean sojourn time could be deduced from DCIS data, any estimate of preclinical DCIS progressing to invasive breast cancer must include data on invasive cancers to avoid strong, probably unrealistic, assumptions.

Download Full-text

Corrigendum to Estimating the natural progression of non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ breast cancer lesions using screening data

Journal of Medical Screening ◽

10.1177/0969141320966461 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 096914132096646

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ◽

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Ductal Carcinoma ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Natural Progression ◽

In Situ Breast Cancer

Download Full-text

Rectal Metastases of Breast Carcinoma: A Case Report

Archives of Iranian Medicine ◽

10.34172/aim.2021.19 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 125-128

Author(s):

Emilia Virginia Lima Curvelo Fontes ◽

Nataliê Almeida Silva ◽

Lister Arruda Modesto dos Santos ◽

Vitorino Modesto dos Santos

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Management Options ◽

Invasive Lobular Cancer ◽

Lobular Cancer ◽

Aged Woman ◽

Long Term Follow Up ◽

Middle Aged Woman ◽

Diagnostic Hypothesis ◽

Poor Outcomes

The scarcely reported hematogenous rectal metastases from breast cancer are rare and the diagnosis is challenging. They may be recognized before, concomitantly with, or after the diagnosis of the primary site of breast cancer. Invasive lobular cancer is the histological type more frequently described, and most of the affected patients have a late diagnosis. Tardive recognition is associated with poor outcomes, despite the management options. Endoscopic and imaging evaluations, mainly magnetic resonance studies, are useful, but the anatomopathological findings are mandatory to confirm the diagnostic hypothesis. We describe a middle-aged woman with advanced rectal metastases of unsuspected breast cancer found during the evaluation of manifestations due to intestinal implants. One must highlight long-term follow-up of breast cancers even if seeming in remission. The aim of this report is to enhance the suspicion index of primary health care workers.

Download Full-text

Eribulin and Confusion: A Previously Unknown Drug Side-Effect

European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine ◽

10.12890/2020_001708 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Abu Baker Sheikh ◽

Abhilash Perisetti ◽

Nismat Javed ◽

Rahul Shekhar

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Advanced Breast Cancer ◽

Antineoplastic Agent ◽

Advanced Breast ◽

Central Nervous System Drug ◽

Drug Induced ◽

Steroid Administration ◽

Treatment Regimens ◽

Aged Woman ◽

Middle Aged Woman

Eribulin is an antineoplastic agent used in advanced breast cancer refractory to anthracycline and taxane treatment regimens. A wide variety of side effects with unclear mechanisms have been noted, but encephalopathy has not been widely reported. Here we describe the case of a middle-aged woman treated with eribulin for advanced breast cancer who subsequently developed central nervous system drug-induced toxicity but improved promptly with steroid administration.

Download Full-text

Previously undiagnosed neuroendocrine tumour mimicking breast cancer metastasis to the orbit

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2020-234629 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. e234629

Author(s):

Colin Bacorn ◽

Esther Kim ◽

Alexander D Borowsky ◽

Lily Koo Lin

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Metastasis ◽

Ductal Carcinoma ◽

Neuroendocrine Tumour ◽

Neuroendocrine Differentiation ◽

Metastatic Breast ◽

Neuroendocrine Neoplasm ◽

Neuroendocrine Neoplasms ◽

Mammary Carcinomas ◽

Aged Woman

Metastatic neuroendocrine neoplasms to the breast are rare and histopathologic overlap with mammary carcinomas has led to misdiagnosis. We present a case of a middle-aged woman with diplopia and a right medial rectus mass. Metastatic breast cancer was initially suspected based on a history of invasive ductal carcinoma. Detailed immunohistochemistry of the orbital biopsy, gallium-68 dotatate positron emission tomography–CT, and reevaluation of her prior breast specimen, demonstrated that her initial breast carcinoma diagnosis was in error and she was ultimately diagnosed with a previously unknown gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumour metastatic to both the orbit and breast. This case highlights the challenges of differentiating between metastatic neuroendocrine tumours and invasive mammary carcinomas with neuroendocrine differentiation both in the breast and in the orbit. It is important to recognise the overlap so that a primary neuroendocrine neoplasm is not missed, or treatment significantly delayed.

Download Full-text