title: Brain metastases after achieving local pathological complete responses with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We encountered two patients with inflammatory breast carcinoma who developed symptomatic brain metastases after achieving local pathological complete responses (pCR) with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The first patient is a 39-year-old woman (Case 1), who underwent NAC with AC (doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide)followed by weekly paclitaxel. After achieving a clinical CR (cCR), we conducted a modified radical mastectomy. Pathological evaluation confirmed no residual malignant cells within the breast tissue or lymph nodes. However, she developed neurological symptoms from brain metastases one month postoperatively. The second patient is a 44-year-old woman (Case 2). Again, no residual malignant cells were detected within the breast tissue or lymph nodes following NAC, but the patient developed symptomatic brain metastases eight months postoperatively. When primary breast tumors are locally advanced, it may be worthwhile to rule out brain metastases even if pCR is obtained after NAC.
authors.affiliation: Breast Surgery Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsukamoto
authors.forename: Sadako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akashi-Tanaka
authors.forename: Tadahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shien
authors.forename: Kotoe
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008408:Mastectomy; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D017239:Paclitaxel