First line chemotherapy plus trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer HER2 positive - Observational institutional study.

Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease and among the most frequent causes of cancer mortality in females worldwide. Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is conventionally considered to be incurable. In first-line treatment of HER-2 positive MBC, randomized trials have demonstrated that trastuzumab when combined with chemotherapy significantly improves progression free survival and overall survival. To evaluate survival and toxicity of chemotherapy with Trastuzumab as first line therapy of human epithermal growth factor receptor 2 positive metastatic breast cancer, in Moroccan population. It is a phase IV observational institutional monocentric study. Including patients with metastatic breast cancer HER2 positive, as first-line chemotherapy combined with Trastuzumab from March 2009 until March 2010. Primary end point: progression free survival, secondary end point response rate and overall survival. A total of 20 patients were enrolled between March 2009 and March 2010. The lung was the first metastatic site in 60% of the cases, followed by bone, liver, nodes, skin and brain. All patients received chemotherapy with Trastuzumab: 9 of them with Docetaxel, 8 with vinorelbine, and 3 with capecitabine. The progression free survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, from the date of first cycle to the date of progression or at the last consultation, and the median was 12.8 months. Trastuzumab based chemotherapy was generally well tolerated; 5 patients (25%) presented cardiotoxicity. The results of this study join the literature and show the benefit of Trastuzumab to chemotherapy in first line metastatic breast cancer HER-2 positive.

Flagellate erythema secondary to bleomycin: a new case report and review of the literature.

Bleomycin is an antibiotic with antineoplastic properties. It is used in the treatment of different tumors in oncology. The mucocutaneous side effects of this drug include ulcers, scaly erythematous and bullous lesions, sclerosis, stomatitis, and pigmentary alterations. Flagellate erythema is a characteristic hyperpigmentation of bleomycin. We report a case of flagellate erythema following the administration of bleomycin in a 34-year-old woman with ovarian teratoma. She developed linear lesions two weeks after the first injection of bleomycin. Flagellate erythema is a specific reaction to bleomycin therapy, which occurs in susceptible individuals independently of dose, route of administration, and type of malignant disease treated.

Radiation induced esophageal adenocarcinoma in a woman previously treated for breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Secondary radiation-induced cancers are rare but well-documented as long-term side effects of radiation in large populations of breast cancer survivors. Multiple neoplasms are rare. We report a case of esophageal adenocarcinoma in a patient treated previously for breast cancer and clear cell carcinoma of the kidney. CASE PRESENTATION: A 56 year-old non smoking woman, with no alcohol intake and no familial history of cancer; followed in the National Institute of Oncology of Rabat Morocco since 1999 for breast carcinoma, presented on consultation on January 2011 with dysphagia. Breast cancer was treated with modified radical mastectomy, 6 courses of chemotherapy based on CMF regimen and radiotherapy to breast, inner mammary chain and to pelvis as castration. Less than a year later, a renal right mass was discovered incidentally. Enlarged nephrectomy realized and showed renal cell carcinoma. A local and metastatic breast cancer recurrence occurred in 2007. Patient had 2 lines of chemotherapy and 2 lines of hormonotherapy with Letrozole and Tamoxifen assuring a stable disease. On January 2011, the patient presented dysphagia. Oesogastric endoscopy showed middle esophagus stenosing mass. Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma. No evidence of metastasis was noticed on computed tomography and breast disease was controlled. Palliative brachytherapy to esophagus was delivered. Patient presented dysphagia due to progressive disease 4 months later. Jejunostomy was proposed but the patient refused any treatment. She died on July 2011. CONCLUSION: We present here a multiple neoplasm in a patient with no known family history of cancers. Esophageal carcinoma is most likely induced by radiation. However the presence of a third malignancy suggests the presence of genetic disorders.