Bilateral Primary Breast Cancer: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

BackgroundInvasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) and secretory carcinoma of the breast (SCB) are relatively rare types of breast cancer. IMPC is usually associated with high incidence of lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. While SCB usually carries a relatively favorable prognosis, cases of axillary and distant metastases have been reported. Clinicians generally adopt systemic treatments based on the histopathological findings of the patients to improve the prognosis, but there is currently no consensus on the optimal treatment for these two types of cancer.Case presentationWe treated a 50‐year‐old woman with lung cancer history who presented with a single lump in each breast. Following bilateral breast-conserving surgery, the diagnosis of SCB of the left breast and IMPC of the right breast was confirmed with immunohistochemistry. It is worth noting that the pathological results of left lung adenocarcinoma centered on micropapillary-type was same as the invasive micropapillary component of right breast.ConclusionsWe reported this case of bilateral primary relatively-rare-form breast cancer for its extremely rare occurrence and there are less than 20 cases of SCB reported worldwide till now. It is also significative to distinguish this primary tumor of right breast from metastatic cancer. Our histopathologic diagnosis and synthetical therapy scheme will provide material for SCB and IMPC. To facilitate the diagnosis and prognosis of such relatively rare tumors, more cases will need to be reported.