title: [Occult breast cancer: Report of two cases].
abstract: Occult breast cancer is expressed as a metastatic axillary lymph node without clinical or imaging evidence of a primary tumor in the breast. The old concept involved non palpable tumors. Its incidence is low, representing only 0.3 to 1% of all breast cancer cases. The search for the primary tumors is performed with mammography, whose sensitivity is low, ranging from 0 to 56%. Several studies have shown a higher sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging, ranging from 85 to 100%, to detect occult lesions. The treatment of isolated axillary metastases of breast cancer is controversial. An axillary dissection is recommended. If there is a suspicious image, a radiosurgical or stereotaxic biopsy should be done. However, in patients without radiological lesions in the breast, the tendency is not to perform a radical mastectomy as previously recommended, since the primary tumor will not be found in the surgical specimen in two thirds of cases. A superior and external quadrantectomy or exclusive radiotherapy should suffice. An expecting behavior is not recommended as a therapeutic alternative. Treatment should be complemented with hormonal therapy or chemotherapy. The literature suggests that prognosis is better than stage II, with a ten years survival ranging from 50 to 71%. We report two patients with a well defined occult breast cancer and based on them, a review of the subject is attempted. Considering its prognosis, physicians should be aware of this uncommon and difficult to diagnose disease.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía, Hospital Militar de Santiago, Chile. dr_kuenlee@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kuen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee Ch
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schwartz J
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iglesis G
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vélez F
authors.forename: Lyonel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gómez S
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001365:Axilla; D001706:Biopsy; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008327:Mammography; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000473:pathology*