Abstract
A case of radiation-induced angiosarcoma that occurred 5 years and 8 months after initial breast conservative surgery is described.
The patient was a 32-year-old woman who had undergone breast conservative surgery for left breast cancer when she was 25 years old, followed by CMF therapy and radiation therapy with a total dose of 50 Gy. Five years and 3 months after the initial operation, an episode of blunt trauma to the residual left breast caused internal bleeding with purpura. Since the hematoma continued for 5 months, and a tumor-like nodule developed, a needle biopsy was performed, and a radiation-induced angiosarcoma was diagnosed. She underwent a mastectomy with wide skin excision and adjuvant systemic chemotherapy with paclitaxel. However, multiple liver and bone metastases and local recurrence occurred 1 year after the second operation. She deteriorated rapidly and died 4 months after the recurrence.
Radiation therapy is commonly performed after breast conservative surgery. Radiation-induced angiosarcoma is very rare, and its prognosis is extremely poor. We must keep this disease in mind as a harmful complication of radiation therapy and should strive for its early detection and treatment.
