High-dose tamoxifen plus ifosfamide and anthracycline in a patient with angiosarcoma of the breast.
Although breast cancer is, unfortunately, not uncommon in women, a mere 0.04% of malignant breast tumours are primary angiosarcomas. Chemotherapy is advocated for treatment of breast angiosarcomas; however, no guidelines exist regarding optimal chemotherapeutics or protocols. Presently, the prognosis for breast angiosarcomas is poor. This case report describes a 24-year old woman diagnosed with primary breast angiosarcoma. She initially refused to receive treatment, but later returned to the hospital four years later with a haemopneumothorax. She was treated with rescue chemotherapy using a combination of high-dose tamoxifen plus ifosfamide and epirubicin (an anthracycline). She achieved a partial response, but died 16 months after therapy was initiated. More research is needed to devise novel chemotherapeutics and protocols to improve outcomes in women diagnosed with primary angiosarcomas of the breast.
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Far-Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taiwan; and Cancer Research Center, National Taiwan University, Taiwan. ch_hsiao@icloud.com.
C-H
CH
Hsiao
Cancer Research Center; and Department of Oncology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.
K-H
KH
Yeh
Department of Chest Surgery, Far-Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.
Y-C
YC
Chang
Department of Pathology, Far-Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.
C-C
CC
Tsai
D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D055815:Young Adult
D018943:Anthracyclines; D013629:Tamoxifen; D007069:Ifosfamide