Abstract
Case 1 was a 50-year-old woman with a left axillary mass. In the whole body search, any primary focus including the breast was unclear. Lymph node metastasisi from the breast cancer was diagnosed by core needle biopsy, and confirmed by left axillary lymph node dissection (Level III) and pathological examination.
Case 2 was a 66-year-old woman with a left axillary mass. In the whole body search, any primary focus including the breast was unclear. Core needle biopsy was not able to confirm whether the mass was breast cancer, ectopic breast cancer or lymph node metastasis. Axillary lymph node dissection (Level II) was performed, with a surgical margin of 2 cm from the main axillary mass, so as to also cover the axillary region (C'). Pathological examination revealed that there was a lymph-node with metastasis.
There is no established standard therapy for occult breast cancer. Surgical treatment for the breast when a breast lesion is undetected even when diagnostic imaging is used is contentious. When starting treatment, it is necessary to adequately explain to the patient before deciding on the strategy to use.
