title: Solitary adrenal metastasis from invasive ductal breast cancer: an uncommon finding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast usually metastasizes to the lungs, liver, bones and brain. Solitary adrenal metastasis is extremely rare. Due to the rarity of this condition, the optimal treatment is unclear. We report the first case of IDC of the breast metastasizing solely to the adrenal gland after a modified radical mastectomy but having a long-term disease-free survival while treated merely by a left adrenalectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 64-year-old woman was found a left adrenal mass on a follow-up visit two years after taking a right modified radical mastectomy for the breast cancer. She was subsequently given a left adrenalectomy. Postoperative histopathology findings were compatible with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast. Due to the patient's refusal, no further treatments were offered after the adrenalectomy. The patient now is still alive and has no sign of relapse. Survival time after taking the right modified radical mastectomy and the left adrenalectomy is more than five years and three years, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first case of a patient with solitary, metachronous adrenal metastasis from IDC of the breast to be reported. For patients in this condition, complete removal of metastasized organ may translate into survival benefit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jiao
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xin-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Fei-Fei
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015411:Mastectomy, Modified Radical; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed