Chemotherapy is a safe and effective initial therapy for infected malignant breast and chest wall ulcers.
OBJECTIVE
Locally advanced breast cancers may form large, infected skin ulcers, which were traditionally treated with radiation therapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is now standard treatment for locally advanced breast cancer.


METHODS
The response of 33 patients with ulcerated breast cancer to primary chemotherapy was retrospectively analyzed. Antibiotics were not used in primary treatment. Tumor and ulcer responses were evaluated independently.


RESULTS
Chemotherapy alone healed 18 of these ulcers. Neither responding nor refractory patients developed sepsis during this treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Chemotherapy is safe and effective treatment for patients with infected malignant breast ulcers and does not cause systemic sepsis.
Dauphin
S
S
Department of Medicine, Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn, State University of New York 11203-2089, USA.
Katz
S
S
el Tamer
M
M
Wait
R
R
Sohn
C
C
Braverman
A S
AS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013909:Thorax
D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate