Abstract
A 53-year-old woman had a left breast mass at age 41 years noted by another physician, and further workup yielded a diagnosis of breast cancer (scirrhous carcinoma) : cT2 N1 (SLNB1/2) M0. She received neoadjuvant (preoperative) chemotherapy, underwent breast-conserving surgery, and then started adjuvant hormonal therapy (LHRH agonist + tamoxifen). At 1 year 5 months after starting hormonal therapy, a solitary 4-cm liver metastasis in S4 was noted. Anticancer therapy with weekly paclitaxel led to a complete response (CR), and then oral capecitabine was started at the patient's request. Currently, 12 years 9 months postoperatively (10 years 1 month after the liver metastasis was diagnosed), imaging studies have confirmed a long-term CR with no evidence of further metastases in any organ.
In patients with oligometastases, even liver metastases in breast cancer, chemotherapy can have a favorable therapeutic effect in many cases. Oral anticancer drugs without established lifetime doses may help to maintain a long-term CR and should be considered as a therapeutic option.
