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  • 1
    In: Current Oncology, MDPI AG, Vol. 30, No. 5 ( 2023-05-08), p. 4833-4843
    Abstract: Breast cancer is the most frequent neoplasm among women and the second leading cause of death by cancer. It is the most frequent cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is defined as breast cancer that is diagnosed during pregnancy and/or in the postpartum period. Data about young women with metastatic HER2-positive cancer who desire a pregnancy are scarce. The medical attitude in these clinical situations is difficult and nonstandardized. We present the case of a 31-year-old premenopausal woman diagnosed in December 2016 with a stage IV Luminal HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (pT2 N0 M1 hep). The patient was initially treated by surgery in a conservative manner. Postoperatively, the presence of liver metastases was found by CT investigation. Consequently, line I treatment (docetaxel l75 mg/m² iv; trastuzumab 600 mg/5 mL sq) and ovarian drug suppression (Goserelin 3.6 mg sq at 28 days) was administered. After nine cycles of treatment, the patient’s liver metastases had a partial response to the therapy. Despite having a favorable disease evolution and a strong desire to procreate, the patient vehemently refused to continue any oncological treatment. The psychiatric consult highlighted an anxious and depressive reaction for which individual and couple psychotherapy sessions were recommended. After 10 months from the interruption of the oncological treatment, the patient appeared with an evolving pregnancy of 15 weeks. An abdominal ultrasound revealed the presence of multiple liver metastases. Knowing all the possible effects, the patient consciously decided to postpone the proposed second-line treatment. In August 2018, the patient was admitted in the emergency department with malaise, diffuse abdominal pain and hepatic failure. Abdominal ultrasound found a 21-week-old pregnancy which had stopped in evolution, multiple liver metastases and ascites in large quantity. She was transferred to the ICU department where she perished just a few hours later. Conclusions/Discussion: From a psychological standpoint, the patient had an emotional hardship to make the transition from the status of a healthy person to the status of a sick person. Consequently, she entered a process of emotional protection of the positive cognitive distortion type, which favored the decision to abandon treatment and try to complete the pregnancy to the detriment of her own survival. The patient delayed the initiation of oncological treatment in pregnancy until it was too late. The consequence of this delay in treatment led to the death of the mother and fetus. A multidisciplinary team worked to provide this patient with the best medical care and psychological assistance throughout the course of the disease.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1718-7729
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2023
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2270777-3
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  • 2
    In: Diagnostics, MDPI AG, Vol. 11, No. 4 ( 2021-04-19), p. 725-
    Abstract: The orbit represents an unusual metastases site for patients diagnosed with cancer, however, breast cancer is the main cause of metastases at this level. These orbital metastases were discovered in patients with a history of breast cancer as unique or synchronous lesions. We present a rare case of a unique retroocular metastasis as the first initial symptom of a tubulo-lobular mammary carcinoma in a postmenopausal woman. A 57-year-old patient complains of diplopia, diminishing visual acuity, orbital tenderness, slight exophthalmia and ptosis of the left eyelid, with insidious onset. Clinical examination and subsequent investigations revealed a left breast cancer cT2 cN1 pM1 stage IV. Breast conserving surgery was performed on the left breast. Pathological examination with immunohistochemistry staining established the complete diagnostic: pT2pN3aM1 Stage IV breast cancer, luminal B subtype. After two years from the initial breast cancer diagnosis, the patient was diagnosed by the psychiatrist with a depressive disorder and was treated accordingly. Orbital metastases are usually discovered in known breast cancer patients and they are found in the context of a multi-system end-stage disease. Most reports cite that up to 25% of the total orbital metastases cases are discovered before the diagnosis of the primary tumor, as our case did. MRI is the gold standard for evaluating orbital tumors. The ILC histological subtype metastasizes in the orbitals more frequently than invasive ductal carcinoma. The prognosis of patients with orbital metastases is poor. The median survival after diagnosis of orbital metastases from a breast cancer primary is ranging from 22 to 31 months. Overall survival of our patient was 56 months, longer than the median survival reported in literature. Orbital metastases must be taken into account when patients accuse ophthalmologic symptoms even in the absence of a personal history of cancer. Objective examination of every patient that incriminates these types of symptoms is essential, and breast palpation must be made in every clinical setting. Orbital biopsy is necessary for the confirmation of the diagnosis and for an adequate treatment. Although recommendations for management of orbital metastases are controversial, it appears that multidisciplinary treatment of both metastases and primary cancer improves overall survival.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2075-4418
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2021
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2662336-5
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  • 3
    In: Current Oncology, MDPI AG, Vol. 29, No. 3 ( 2022-03-10), p. 1890-1901
    Abstract: The safety profile and effectiveness of existing anti-HER2-targeted therapies have not been evaluated in patients with breast cancer and visceral crisis. We report the case of a 26-year-old woman who was diagnosed with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer and initially treated with curative intent therapy in a neoadjuvant setting, using Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab in combination with Docetaxel; her cancer recurred two years later, with liver metastases and pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis, causing visceral crisis. Furthermore, the patient’s clinical status worsened when she developed respiratory failure, hepatomegaly and a severe hepatocytolysis. Since the patient was free of disease more than six months, we started with Paclitaxel half dose because of the hepatic dysfunction, and we gradually reintroduced Trastuzumab and then Pertuzumab. In the meantime, the patient changed her lifestyle by increasing her consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and fiber and reducing her intake of processed meat, dairy and sugar. As a result, the patient showed a significant improvement in her respiratory symptoms and liver tests in less than two months. Imaging reevaluation showed partial remission of liver metastases and pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis. She underwent seven months of dual anti-HER2 blockade before relapsing cerebrally. Our results suggest that the sequential combination therapy with Trastuzumab, Pertuzumab and Paclitaxel presented in this study, associated with a healthy lifestyle, may be a good management for recurrent HER2-positive breast cancer with pulmonary visceral crisis and severe liver dysfunction.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 1718-7729
    Language: English
    Publisher: MDPI AG
    Publication Date: 2022
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2270777-3
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