Nasosinus Metastases from Breast Cancer: A Review of Two Cases

Abstract

Context: Breast cancer affects more than 2 million women a year worldwide. Improved treatments have made it possible to increase survival rates with more and more patients having time to develop secondary locations. Nasosinus metastases from this cancer are rare. Two recently treated breast cancer patients developed metastases to the sphenoidal and maxillary sinuses. These cases gave rise to an examination of the incidence of this disease, its diagnosis, the therapeutic means envisaged and the fate of these patients. Method: We report the diagnostic and therapeutic data of two patients suffering from breast cancer and presenting metastases at the nasosinus level, with a focus on the interest of radiotherapy in palliative care. Results: The two patients aged 56 and 60 presented in the course of their breast cancer secondary localizations in the sphenoidal and maxillary sinus confirmed by endoscopy and histology. All the cases presented massive lesions associated with other secondary bone locations in particular. After local radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy treatment, one patient died 5 months after her diagnosis and the other was alive 16 months later. Conclusion: Nasal and sinus metastases from breast cancer are rare and have a poor prognosis as disseminated disease, they do not respond well to conventional systemic therapies even if palliative radiotherapy allows local control.