Late bone metastasis in breast carcinoma

Abstract

A 49-year-old woman was free of metastases for 14 years after a left radical mastectomy. Metastases were found only in the skull, also the bone marrow biopsy demonstrated metastases.

Middle Ear Metastasis from Dormant Breast Cancer as the Initial Sign of Disseminated Disease 20 Years after Quadrantectomy

“…19 The duration of breast cancer dormancy appears to be 20 to 25 years after the initial diagnosis. [15][16][17] Patients who survive that long without a recurrence or cancer in the contralateral breast are probably cured. 19 To the best of our knowledge, our case represents the first published report of a middle ear metastasis from a dormant breast cancer in which the metastasis was the first sign of metastatic dissemination.…”

“…15 However, bone metastases have been reported in 28 to 75% of patients with stage III breast cancer 8 and in 50 to 80% of cases at autopsy. 15,16 Because metastases to the temporal bone are generally asymptomatic, most of those cases are not diagnosed until autopsy. 2,17,18 Recurrence of breast cancer rarely occurs 20 years after the diagnosis of the primary, and the mortality rate for women 20 years past diagnosis of the primary is not significantly different from that of the rest of the population.…”

Middle ear effusion from metastatic carcinoma of the breast

“…Bone metastasis are found in 28 -75%) of patients with stage III disease 4 and 50 -80% in autopsy studies. 4,5 Metastasis to the temporal bone is rare, usually asymptomatic and diagnosed mostly at autopsy. 1,6 Tumours of the temporal bone arise mainly from the epithelium of the Eustachian tube.…”