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Metastatic breast cancer to oesophagus: a case report and review of the literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2023

Bhuvana J Open the ORCID record for Bhuvana J [Opens in a new window] ,
Akash Pandya ,
Maitrik Mehta  and
Suryanarayana U
Bhuvana J*
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Oncology, Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (GCRI), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Akash Pandya
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Oncology, Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (GCRI), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Maitrik Mehta
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Oncology, Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (GCRI), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Suryanarayana U
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Oncology, Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (GCRI), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
*
Corresponding author: Bhuvana J; Email: Bhuvijayasree@gmail.com
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Abstract

Background:

Secondary oesophageal carcinoma from a breast primary is an infrequent phenomenon. Given the rarity of this presentation, there is a general lack of consensus on management guidelines.

Materials and methods:

Herein, we report a case of a 65-year-old female presented with dysphagia, 14 years post-surgery for breast cancer. She was diagnosed with oesophageal metastases and was treated with combination of systemic chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and local radiotherapy. Our patient tolerated the treatment well and achieved a significant symptomatic improvement post-radiotherapy. We also performed a review of literature on oesophageal metastases from breast primary, aiming to improve the diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficacy in this rare presentation.

Conclusions:

We conclude that patients who present with persistent dysphagia post-breast cancer treatment should undergo an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle biopsy (FNB) to rule out oesophageal metastasis. We suggest systemic chemotherapy with hormonal therapy and radiotherapy for local control as a management of choice in this condition. Even though prognosis is difficult to predict in these patients, this combined modality of treatment seems to achieve better overall survival.

Keywords

Breast tumouroesophageal metastasesintraluminal brachytherapyradiotherapyrecurrence
Type
Case Study
Information
Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice , Volume 22 , 2023 , e73
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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