Improved survival in patients with breast rhabdoid tumors with multi-agent adjuvant chemotherapy combined with irradiation

• Published in: Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 623 - 627
• Main Authors: Furuya, Yoshitaka, Yanagie, Hironobu, Wakahara, Takashi, Mishina, Yoshiya, Akimoto, Harutoshi, Quang, Le Minh, Hiroshima, Kenzo, Yasuhara, Hiroshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.07.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Neoplasms - physiopathology; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Cancer Research; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant - methods; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Mammary gland diseases; Mastectomy; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neoplasm Metastasis; Oncology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Rhabdoid Tumor - physiopathology; Rhabdoid Tumor - therapy; Short Communication; Survival Rate; Tumors; Rhabdoid tumor; Breast; Irradiation; Chemotherapy; Human; Drug combination; Breast tumor; Adjuvant treatment; Patient; Survival; Mammary gland diseases; Treatment; Combined treatment; Mammary gland
• ISSN: 0344-5704; 1432-0843
• DOI: 10.1007/s00280-009-0989-6

Purpose Malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT) have poor prognoses. Breast MRT is extremely rare; only three cases have been documented, with a mean prognosis of 7 months. Multi-agent chemotherapy with mastectomy and irradiation, as used in this case, may extend survival in breast MRT. Patient and methods A 68-year-old woman who underwent a standard mastectomy was diagnosed with breast MRT. Postoperatively she received six cycles of cyclophosphamide/methotrexate/5-fluorouracil followed by oral administration of doxifluridine and anastrozole, after which no metastasis was detected. About 8 months postoperative, magnetic resonance imaging revealed cervical bone metastasis, and local irradiation and nine doses of “basic chemotherapy” consisting of biweekly paclitaxel and anastrozole were administered. About 4 months later, multiple lung metastases were revealed, and four doses of “basic chemotherapy” with added pirarubicin hydrochloride were administered. Four months after that, multiple large liver metastases were discovered, and five doses of “basic chemotherapy” with added carboplatin were administered. Results The 19-month survival period of our case was almost three times that of reported breast MRT patients. Conclusion Multi-agent chemotherapy combined with irradiation may be associated with the relatively long survival of the present case.