A case of pulmonary metastasis from breast cancer following an 18-year disease-free interval that responded to tamoxifen treatment.
A 61-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with an abnormal shadow on chest roentgenogram. She had undergone a radical mastectomy for right breast cancer 18 years previously. Since pleural dissemination was noted at the time of thoracotomy, only tumor biopsy was performed. Although a decisive diagnosis could not be obtained histologically, the tumor resembled breast cancer and the estrogen receptor status was positive. She underwent post-operative chemotherapy and tamoxifen treatment. After tamoxifen treatment, complete response was observed. The patient is now doing well without recurrence about 10 years after thoracotomy. Based on the clinical course, we obtained both a definitive diagnosis and complete remission.
Department of Surgery II, Miyazaki Medical College, Kihara 5200, Kiyotake, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan. mtomita@post.miyazaki-med.ac.jp
Masaki
M
Tomita
Yasunori
Y
Matsuzaki
Masao
M
Edagawa
Masayuki
M
Maeda
Tetsuya
T
Shimizu
Masaki
M
Hara
Atsushi
A
Yamamoto
Toshio
T
Onitsuka
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004967:Estrogens; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D004967:Estrogens; D013629:Tamoxifen