Improved survival in patients with breast rhabdoid tumors with multi-agent adjuvant chemotherapy combined with irradiation.
OBJECTIVE
Malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT) have poor prognoses. Breast MRT is extremely rare; only three cases have been documented, with a mean prognosis of 7 months. Multi-agent chemotherapy with mastectomy and irradiation, as used in this case, may extend survival in breast MRT.


METHODS
A 68-year-old woman who underwent a standard mastectomy was diagnosed with breast MRT. Postoperatively she received six cycles of cyclophosphamide/methotrexate/5-fluorouracil followed by oral administration of doxifluridine and anastrozole, after which no metastasis was detected. About 8 months postoperative, magnetic resonance imaging revealed cervical bone metastasis, and local irradiation and nine doses of "basic chemotherapy" consisting of biweekly paclitaxel and anastrozole were administered. About 4 months later, multiple lung metastases were revealed, and four doses of "basic chemotherapy" with added pirarubicin hydrochloride were administered. Four months after that, multiple large liver metastases were discovered, and five doses of "basic chemotherapy" with added carboplatin were administered.


RESULTS
The 19-month survival period of our case was almost three times that of reported breast MRT patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Multi-agent chemotherapy combined with irradiation may be associated with the relatively long survival of the present case.
Furuya
Yoshitaka
Y
Department of Surgery, Sodegaura Satsukidai Hospital, Sodegaura, Chiba, Japan. furuya@mail.satsuki-kai.or.jp
Yanagie
Hironobu
H
Wakahara
Takashi
T
Mishina
Yoshiya
Y
Akimoto
Harutoshi
H
Quang
Le Minh
le M
Hiroshima
Kenzo
K
Yasuhara
Hiroshi
H