Abstract
We experienced an extremely rare case of lung metastasis from breast cancer 30 years after mastectomy. A 71-year-old woman underwent radical mastectomy at the age of 41 for cancer of the left breast. Five years after the operation, she stopped attending the hospital for review and follow-up was subsequently not performed. She presented to our hospital because of a productive cough. Chest CT scans revealed a mass of 24 mm in diameter in the right lower lung field (S10). CT-guided needle aspiration cytology was performed, and the results strongly suggested malignancy. Partial resection of the right lower lobe was performed, revealing a lung metastasis from breast cancer. It has been reported that metastasis occurs in about 20-25% of all patients who undergo the resection of breast cancer, but most metastases are found within 5 years of surgery. In our patient, lung metastasis was found 30 years after mastectomy, and few cases of such late metastasis have been reported. The patient should be carefully followed up with hormonal therapy.
