Abstract
Metastasis of breast cancer to the gastrointestinal tract is relatively rare. We hereby report a case of breast cancer recurrence in the esophagus, stomach, and liver, 15 years following primary surgery. A 67-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of dysphagia. Fifteen years previously, she had undergone right mastectomy for breast carcinoma. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed circumferential stenosis without mucosal abnormality in the lower esophagus and enlarged gastric folds and defective extension in the upper stomach. Biopsy specimens from the esophagus and gastric folds were consistent with invasive lobular carcinoma. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed two hepatic tumors, and liver biopsy revealed breast cancer recurrence. Immunohistochemistry supported the diagnosis of breast cancer recurrence in the esophagus, stomach, and liver. Gastrointestinal metastases should be considered for patients with breast cancer who present with gastrointestinal symptoms, even if the primary tumor was treated many years previously.
References
Jemal A, Siegel R, Ward E et al (2007) Cancer statistics, 2007. CA Cancer J Clin 57:43–66
Nazareno J, Taves D, Preiksaitis HG (2006) Metastatic breast cancer to the gastrointestinal tract: a case series and review of the literature. World J Gastroenterol 12:6219–6224
Davis HL Jr, Murray RK, Korbitz BC (1968) Breast carcinoma metastatic to the stomach. Report of a case in a male and review of an autopsy series. Am J Dig Dis 13:868–873
Pectasides D, Psyrri A, Pliarchopoulou K et al (2009) Gastric metastases originating from breast cancer: report of 8 cases and review of the literature. Anticancer Res 29:4759–4763
Abid A, Moffa C, Monga DK (2013) Breast cancer metastasis to the GI tract may mimic primary gastric cancer. J Clin Oncol 31:e106–e107
Simchuk EJ, Low DE (2001) Direct esophageal metastasis from a distant primary tumor is a submucosal process: a review of six cases. Dis Esophagus 14:247–250
Mizobuchi S, Tachimori Y, Kato H et al (1997) Metastatic esophageal tumors from distant primary lesions: report of three esophagectomies and study of 1835 autopsy cases. Jpn J Clin Oncol 27:410–414
Fujii K, Nakanishi Y, Ochiai A et al (1997) Solitary esophageal metastasis of breast cancer with 15 years’ latency: a case report and review of the literature. Pathol Int 47:614–617
Erman M, Karaoglu A, Oksuzoglu B et al (2002) Solitary esophageal metastasis of breast cancer after 11 years: a case report. Med Oncol 19:171–175
Kashiwagi S, Onoda N, Asano Y et al (2014) A rare recurrence of bilateral breast cancer in the esophagus coincidentally associated with primary gastric cancer: a case report. J Med Case Rep 8:58
Wada Y, Harada N, Ohara K et al (2009) Esophageal metastasis of breast carcinoma. Breast Cancer 16:151–156
Borst MJ, Ingold JA (1993) Metastatic patterns of invasive lobular versus invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast. Surgery 114:637–641 (discussion 641–642)
Schwarz RE, Klimstra DS, Turnbull AD (1998) Metastatic breast cancer masquerading as gastrointestinal primary. Am J Gastroenterol 93:111–114
Goldberg RI, Rams H, Stone B, Barkin JS (1987) Dysphagia as the presenting symptom of recurrent breast carcinoma. Cancer 60:1085–1088
Taal BG, Peterse H, Boot H (2000) Clinical presentation, endoscopic features, and treatment of gastric metastases from breast carcinoma. Cancer 89:2214–2221
Acknowledgments
No funding was received for this study.
Conflict of interest
No conflicts of interest exist.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Koga, Y., Baba, Y., Karashima, R. et al. Breast cancer recurrence in esophagus, stomach, and liver, 15 years following primary surgery: report of a case. Int Canc Conf J 4, 172–175 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13691-014-0193-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13691-014-0193-3