A CASE OF METASTASIS TO THE DESCENDING COLON FROM BILATERAL INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER

Abstract

Colorectal metastasisof breast cancer is clinically rare. The large intestine is uncommonly affected by cancer of the other organs so that we rarely encounter clinical cases of metastatic colorectal cancer. Recently we experienced a patient with metastasis to the descending colon from bilateral inflammatory breast cancer who survives more than 2 years by a left hemicolectomy followed by postoperative chemotherapy.
A 42-year-old woman was seen at the hospital because of abdominal distention 5 months after she noticed bilateral breast indurations which were left alone. Bilateral inflammatory breast cancer with metastasis to the bilateral axillary and left subclavian lymph nodes was suspected, and the patient was admitted. Barium enema study revealed a narrowing in the descending colon. A left hemicolectomy was performed with a suspicion of primary colonic cancer. Histopathologic pictures of the resected material offered a diagnosis of colonic metastasis of breast cancer. As an adjuvant chemotherapy, CAF regimen was conducted, with a resultant PR. She is living and well, as of 2.5 years after the operation.
There have been few reports on colorectal metastasis of breast cancer in Japan. To our best knowledge, only 16 cases including our case have been seen in the literature. This paper presents the case with bibliographical comments.