A Case of Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Penetrating the Thoracic Wall after Bevacizumab Administration

Abstract

A 41-year-old woman who was referred to a previous hospital because of a right breast mass with pain was detected to have a 17-cm right breast tumor with remarkable edema, a skin nodule, and lymph node swelling 6 cm in diameter in the axilla. Fine needle aspiration cytology resulted in scirrhous cancer, ER(-), PgR(-) and HER2 score 3. No distant metastases were seen. The tumor was diagnosed as cT4dN3cM0 and cStage IIIC. A 2-month chemotherapy at the previous hospital gained only PD, so that she was referred to our hospital. Despite chemotherapies with several regimens and radiation therapy for the local control, the breast cancer locally advanced and other organ metastases involving the liver, bones and lung appeared. We thus determined to employ the best supportive care 13 months after the initiation of treatment in our hospital. Soon the breast tumor had penetrated the right thoracic wall. Since her respiratory condition was stable, she was discharged from our hospital in accordance with her hope to receive home treatment. She passed away about one month after discharge. As locally advanced breast cancer eventually penetrating the thoracic wall is extremely rare, we present this case with a review of the literature.