Intestinal metastasis from breast invasive ductal carcinoma after a long latency: case report and literature review

Abstract

Intestinal metastasis from breast cancer (BC) is rarely encountered in clinical practice. Nonspecific symptoms and long latency result in misdiagnosis as a primary intestinal tumor. Therefore, increased awareness of bowel metastasis secondary to BC and a thorough understanding of the clinical and molecular features, and intervention of bowel metastasis are fundamental to avoid the delay of correct diagnosis and management. Herein, we documented a BC patient who experienced progressive bellyache and vomiting 16 years after simplified radical mastectomy. Abdominal CT scan revealed localized thickening of the small intestine wall and lumen narrowing, initially diagnosed as a primary intestinal tumor. The subsequent operation resolved the intestinal obstruction and confirmed the diagnosis of intestinal involvement of BC. Radical local treatment followed by systemic intervention contributed to a better outcome. Our case indicates that intestinal metastasis should be included in the diagnostic checklist in patients presented with any intestinal symptom even with a remote history of BC. Our case is of great value in its rarity and calls for the awareness of clinicians for this special entity to guarantee the accurate and prompt diagnosis and treatment, and optimize the patient’s prognosis.

Infiltrating Ductal Breast Carcinoma Metastasized to the Rectum: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

“…Surgical intervention includes gastrointestinal resection, diverting ostomy, and gastrointestinal bypass. In patients with gastrointestinal metastasis alone, radical surgical resection along with systemic treatment is reported to have a better prognosis [1,15] . In the patients presenting disseminated disease, surgery has no prolonging effect on the overall survival (OS), although these patients do bene t from palliative surgery, as reported previously, for relief from the symptoms [15] .…”

“…Breast cancer (BC) is a frequently occurring cancer among women, which also leads to morbidity and mortality [1] . Approximately 60% of the BC cases have distant metastasis (DM) or lymph metastasis at the time of diagnosis, while 30-80% of the BC cases are diagnosed with metastases after chemotherapy and/or surgery, endocrine therapy, or radiotherapy [2] .…”

Pathochistological and immunohistochemical study in small intestine metastasis as first clinical expression of invasive lobular breast carcinoma: Prognosis and complex treatment

“…In the literature, two situations have been described with the expression of unusual metastases from primary BC. The first, which is more commonly observed, is known treated in the past BC after a prolonged latent period of 16-30 years [1,14,15]. Metastases have been published in the digestive tract in men with proven BC [16,17].…”

“…Invasive breast carcinoma (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed neoplasm in women representing a serious threat to life [1]. Over the past two decades, due to improved early diagnosis and complex treatment, mortality from BC has decreased [2][3][4].…”

“…Over the past two decades, due to improved early diagnosis and complex treatment, mortality from BC has decreased [2][3][4]. Prolonged survival increases distant metastases [1]. Hematogenic metastases from the BC in the gastrointestinal tract are relatively rarely diagnosed.…”