title: Breast Cancer and Sarcoidosis: Case Series and Review of the Literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sarcoidosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, which can involve different organs and systems. Accordingly, sarcoidosis can mimic breast cancer, making the differential diagnosis very difficult.
  
  
  METHODS
  5 patients with a diagnosis of both sarcoidosis and breast cancer followed by the Rabin Medical Center between January 1993 and June 2012 were enrolled in this study. Additionally, a comprehensive literature review which identified 104 patients diagnosed with breast cancer and sarcoidosis was carried out. In both populations reviewed, the average age at diagnosis of sarcoidosis and breast cancer was 57 years. Among the 66 patients with both sarcoidosis and breast cancer, sarcoidosis preceded breast cancer in 31 cases, followed it in 23 cases, and appeared concurrently in 10 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our clinical cases and literature review, a histological study is recommended over imaging if sarcoidosis or breast cancer may be present. Furthermore, breast cancer is rarely associated with sarcoidosis or sarcoidosis-like reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel ; US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maoz
authors.affiliation: US Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tobar
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sharon
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Franklin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Greif
keywords: Breast cancer; Sarcoid-like reaction; Sarcoidosis