[A Case of Hormone Receptor-Positive Recurrent Breast Cancer Successfully Treated with Low-Dose Ethinyl Estradiol].

The patient, an 83-year-old woman, was diagnosed with ER- and PgR-positive left breast cancer(T2N0M0, Stage ⅡA) at the age of 68. At the time, she underwent preoperative chemotherapy followed by Bp+Ax and postoperative radiotherapy to the conserved breast. She also received endocrine therapy as adjuvant therapy. At the age of 73, she underwent radiotherapy for multiple bone metastases and left axillary lymphadenectomy due to left axillary lymph node recurrence. After surgery, she received 4 regimens of endocrine therapy over a period of 5 years and 1 month for bone metastases. At the age of 79, S-1 was administered for pulmonary metastasis which continued for the next 2 years and 8 months. At the age of 81, palbociclib+letrozole were administered for 1 year and 8 months owing to the progression of bone metastases. At the age of 83, she developed liver metastases and was administered ethinyl estradiol, starting at 1.5 mg/day and continued at a reduced dose of 0.5 mg/day for 9 months. The reduction in tumor markers after treatment initiation was rapid, and there were no serious adverse events. Ethinyl estradiol was useful for maintaining QOL in this elderly patient with recurrent breast cancer.

[A Case of Breast Carcinoma That Changed Subtype to Squamous Cell Carcinoma after Chemotherapy].

Metaplastic carcinoma is a rare histological malignancy, often triple-negative, and has a poor prognosis. Here, we report a case of breast cancer in which the primary lesion degenerated into squamous cell carcinoma(triple negative)after drug treatment for invasive ductal carcinoma(Luminal type). The patient was a 41-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Stage Ⅳ left breast cancer T2N2bM1(HEP)(ER 90%, PR 70%, HER2 2+, FISH-)at another hospital and participated in the PATHWAY study(tamoxifen plus goserelin plus palbociclib/placebo). Since the primary lesion and liver metastasis increased in size, the study was discontinued after 8 weeks. She was treated at our hospital thereafter, with capecitabine plus cyclophosphamide, palbociclib plus fulvestrant plus leuprorelin, paclitaxel plus bevacizumab, eribulin, EC therapy, and docetaxel. However, both the primary lesion and liver metastasis increased. In particular, the increase in primary lesion size was remarkable, and the QOL significantly reduced due to bleeding and exudation. Biopsy performed during docetaxel treatment revealed metaplastic/squamous cell carcinoma(ER-, PR-, HER2 0, Ki-67 90-100%)histopathological findings. BRCA and microsatellite instability tests were negative, and PDL1 expression was less than 1%. Although Mohs ointment was used, tumor bleeding, exudate, and stink were poorly controlled, and the patient experienced painful symptoms due to the weight of the tumor. Therefore, left mastectomy plus pectoralis major muscle resection was performed. The patient died one month after the operation.

[Chemo-Resistant Breast Carcinoma with Cartilaginous Differentiation Manifestation after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy-A Case Report].

A 49-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a tumor in her right breast. The tumor was localized to the C area and was approximately 3 cm in size. A right axillary lymphadenopathy was also found. Histopathological examination and needle biopsy of the breast tumor revealed invasive lobular carcinoma, and she was diagnosed with Stage ⅡB triple-negative breast cancer(cT2N1M0). Paclitaxel plus bevacizumab chemotherapy followed by ddAC chemotherapy was administered as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, but the tumor remained stable. Thus, she underwent mastectomy and lymph node dissection. Pathological findings of the resected specimen showed invasive carcinoma with cartilaginous differentiation. She was then treated with capecitabine 15 days after the surgery; however, multiple lung metastases were found on CT after 6 courses. Therefore, she was transferred to another hospital and received other chemotherapies, but died after 5 months.

[A Case of Gastric Cancer Which Caused Severe Anemia(Hemoglobin 1.8 g/dL)].

A 61-year-old woman, who consulted another doctor with chief complaints of epigastric pain, nausea, anorexia, palpitation, and shortness of breath since a month was referred to our hospital for diagnosis and treatment. She was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer. She was also found to have severe anemia(hemoglobin 1.8 g/dL)and malnutrition. With adequate precautions to prevent development of heart failure and refeeding syndrome, the patient was treated for anemia with blood transfusion and intravenous iron injection; and for malnutrition with intravenous hyperalimentation and enteral nutrition. The patient underwent distal gastrectomy 17 days after admission. Histological examination revealed a type 3 moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma>solid type of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma>mucinous adenocarcinoma corresponding to pT4a, pN3a, pStage ⅢB, respectively. The postoperative course was good and adjuvant chemotherapy was started 22 days after surgery. However, the patient died approximately 15 months after surgery due to metastases of gastric cancer to the lymph nodes.

[A Case of Bone Marrow Carcinomatosis Arising from Breast Cancer with a Rapidly Progressive Course].

A 67-year-old woman was diagnosed with Stage ⅡA breast cancer(T2N0M0)in 2003. She underwent mastectomy and lymph node dissection. Oral fluoropyrimidine was administered for 3 years as adjuvant chemotherapy. In 2008, the patient was diagnosed with multiple bone metastases and left supraclavicular lymph node metastasis. Radiotherapy was performed on the left first rib and left supraclavicular lymph node. She was treated with chemotherapy and endocrine therapy and bone metastasis therapeutic agent. In 2013, multiple liver metastases were noted and treated with chemotherapy. Liver metastases were well-controlled. Endocrine therapy was continued for bone metastases without visceral metastasis. In 2016, the patient was diagnosed with bone marrow carcinomatosis and died 2 weeks later due to bone marrow carcinomatosis.

[A Case of Ascending Colon Cancer Probably Arising from a Diverticulum].

A 70's male was admitted to our hospital with complaints of anorexia and abdominal pain. CT showed thickening of the ascending colon. Colonoscopy revealed multiple diverticula of the ascending colon, but no tumor on the mucosa. The patient was diagnosed as a case of diverticulitis of the ascending colon and was advised laparoscopic ileocecal resection. The resected specimen showed wall thickening; however, no remarkable findings were observed, with the exception of multiple diverticula on the mucosal surface. Histological examination showed well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma extending into the serosa probably arising from the diverticulum. Chemotherapy was performed after surgery. The patient died due to peritoneal dissemination from the ascending colon cancer 14 months after surgery.

[A Case of a Breast Cancer Patient with Cardiac Metastasis].

The patient was a 65-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Stage III A triple-negative breast cancer(T2N2aM0)at the age of 63. AC chemotherapy(3 months)followed by paclitaxel plus bevacizumab(4 months)was administered as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, she underwent mastectomy and lymph node dissection. Pathological examination revealed a partial response. After surgery, radiotherapy with a radiation dose of 50 Gy was applied to the chest wall and supraclavicular lymph node. Multiple pulmonary metastases and mediastinal lymph node metastases were diagnosed 23 months after initial treatment, and she was treated with S-1 administration. Two months after S-1 treatment, the PET-CT showed metastasis in the right atrium. Since there were no cardiac symptoms, S-1 treatment was continued without cardiovascular treatment. However, the mediastinal lymph node metastasis progressed; and therefore, S-1 administration was stopped and chemotherapy with eribulin was initiated. Brain metastasis was diagnosed at the same time and treated with a gamma knife. Although chemotherapy with eribulin was continued, the patient died 33 months after initial treatment owing to the brain metastasis. The cardiac metastasis did not progress during chemotherapy with eribulin. There was no sign of heart failure or arrhythmia during the treatment.