title: An unusual case of secondary fibrosarcoma after treatment for breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Post-irradiation breast sarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive tumor, associated with poor prognosis. However, the mean latent periods reported for postradiation sarcomas after treatment of breast cancer ranges from 5 to 10 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a rare case of fibrosarcoma of the axilla, diagnosed 23 months after breast surgery and irradiation for medullary poorly differentiated carcinoma, treated with wide local excision with resection of the serratus anterior muscle until pleural wall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case confirm a possible early appearance of sarcoma in the irradiation field after radiotherapy. Thus, when a nodule appears in the irradiation field even if within 2 years after radiotherapy, physician should be alert for a possible sarcoma and wide biopsy with histologic confirmation is auspicable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Perinatology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Viale del Policlinico 155-00161 Rome, Italy. francescoplotti@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Plotti
authors.forename: Violante
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Donato
authors.forename: Marzio Angelo
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Angioli
authors.forename: Pierluigi Benedetti
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Panici
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects