Herceptin Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Herceptin, including details on side-effects, breast cancer, treatment, therapy.

Ipsilateral breast carcinoma following treatment for primary breast lymphoma.

Geffen DB, Cagnano E, Tokar M, Ariad S, Koretz M

Department of Oncology, Soroka University Medical Center and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. dgeffen@bgu.ac.il

BACKGROUND: The breast is an unusual site for primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Carcinoma in the same breast after treatment for lymphoma poses therapeutic challenges, but there is only 1 case report in Japanese, which describes this occurrence. PATIENT AND METHODS: A 59-year-old woman was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast after receiving doxorubicinand vincristine-based chemotherapy for ipsilateral primary large cell breast lymphoma. The cancer was of high grade histology, with immunohistochemistry staining 3+ positive for HER2/neu. RESULTS: After lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy, adjuvant paclitaxel without anthracyclines was given but had to be stopped early because of neurotoxicity. Radiotherapy to the breast was administered, and a 1-year course of trastuzumab was planned. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer can occur after breast lymphoma. For primary breast lymphoma, cumulative doses of cardiotoxic and neurotoxic drugs should be limited to 3-4 cycles of chemotherapy, using treatment protocols for stage I-II large cell lymphoma. Consolidation radiotherapy should be considered at a dose curative for microscopic breast cancer.

Published 7 March 2007 in Onkologie, 30(3): 134-6.
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