title: Conjonctival melanoma metastatic to the breast: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast metastasis is fairly uncommon and prognosis is dismal. Breast metastasis might be the first symptom or may occur during the course of other malignancies dominantly arising from the contralateral breast. Leukemia, lung cancer and conjunctival melanoma may spread to the breast.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 43-year-old female patient was operated on for conjunctival melanoma. After two years the disease progressed quickly and cutaneous nodes appeared on the back and paraumbilical region. Physical and radiological examination showed a breast mass. No palpable lymph's nodes were noted. She underwent an open biopsy. Histopathologic examination and immunohistochemistry confirmed breast metastases from melanoma. During post-operative staging multiple nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal lesions were also objective. The patient was given palliative dacarbazine (250 mg/m2 per day for 4 days) for 4 cycles. She died 4 months after the diagnosis of breast metastases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Histopathological evaluation should be mandatory in patients with medical history of malignancies in order to differentiate new primary tumors, metastases, and benign tumors.
authors.affiliation: Departement of Medical Oncology, National Institute of Oncology, Poste Madinat al Irfane, Rabat BP 6213, Morocco. saoussane.oncomed@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Saoussane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kharmoum
authors.forename: Mesmoudi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Hafida
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benhammane
authors.forename: Jinane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kharmoum
authors.forename: Salima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Touri
authors.forename: Khadija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Setti
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bensouda
authors.forename: Saber
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boutayeb
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Elghissassi
authors.forename: Hind
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mrabti
authors.forename: Bassma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: El Khannoussi
authors.forename: Yassir
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sbitti
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Errihani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary*; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008545:Melanoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary*; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D010166:Palliative Care; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003606:Dacarbazine