Colonic metastasis from breast carcinoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Colonic metastasis from breast carcinoma is very rare. Here, we report a case of colonic metastasis from breast carcinoma. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 51-year-old woman. She had upper abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, repeatedly. We performed abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) to investigate these symptoms. The CT scan revealed a tumor in the ascending colon with contrast enhancement and showed an expanded small intestine. For further investigation of this tumor, we performed whole positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT). The PET-CT scan revealed fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the ascending colon, mesentery, left breast, and left axillary region. Analysis of biopsy samples obtained during colonoscopy revealed signet ring cell-like carcinoma. Moreover, biopsy of the breast tumor revealed invasive lobular carcinoma. Therefore, the preoperative diagnosis was colonic metastasis from breast carcinoma. Open ileocecal resection was performed. The final diagnosis was multiple metastatic breast carcinomas, and the TNM classification was T2N1M1 Stage IV. CONCLUSIONS: We presented a rare case of colonic metastasis from breast carcinoma. PET-CT may be useful in the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. When analysis of biopsy samples obtained during colonoscopy reveals signet ring cell-like carcinoma, the possibility of breast cancer as the primary tumor should be considered.

Early results of an endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic mastectomy has been reportedly associated with smaller scars and greater patient satisfaction; however, few reports on this topic have been made. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the early results of endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy (E-NSM) and to investigate the safety of this procedure. METHODS: Between January 2002 and December 2005, a total of 87 patients with breast cancer but without skin and nipple involvement, including two cases of bilateral breast cancer, underwent E-NSM. In case of bloody nipple discharge and suspicious extension near the nipple as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, the major ducts within the nipple were cored (nipple coring). In other cases, nipple coring was not performed. RESULTS: Of the 89 breasts in 87 patients, 42 had tumors of >2 cm and 80 were diagnosed as having invasive carcinoma. Lymph node involvement was observed in 36 procedures. The overall rate of nipple necrosis was 18% (16 of 89). The rate of nipple necrosis among the procedures with nipple coring was statistically higher than that among those without nipple coring (7 of 17, 41%, vs. 9 of 72, 13%) (P = .01). Nipple involvement was observed in 2.2% (2 of 89). After a median follow-up period of 52 months, distant metastasis was observed in nine cases; no local recurrences occurred in this series. CONCLUSIONS: E-NSM is an oncologically safe procedure and an acceptable method in selected patients requiring a mastectomy. The higher rate of nipple necrosis may have been the result of a technical problem, indicating the need for continued improvement in nipple coring procedures.

False-negative ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy of the breast: difference with US-detected and MRI-detected lesions.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine the frequency and causes of a false-negative result of ultrasound (US)-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 835 patients with 986 consecutive lesions who had undergone US-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy (US-VAB) using 11-gauge probes. We divided the lesions into two groups (US-detected and MRI-detected lesions). The sizes of the lesions on US, number of cores taken, rates of repeat biopsy, and the false-negative rate were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The overall false-negative rate of US-VAB was 7.4% (13/175). The final number of malignant pathologic diagnoses was 175 (18%), including 13 false-negative lesions and 6 upgraded high-risk lesions. The false-negative rate for MRI-detected lesions (26%; 8/31) was significantly higher than that for US-detected lesions (3.5%; 5/144) (P = 0.0002). The causes of a false-negative result in the case of US-detected lesions were considered to be technical error in two cases and difficulty in histologic interpretation in three cases. The average size, as measured by US, average number of core samples, and repeat biopsy rate of US-detected lesions and MRI-detected lesions were 11 vs 9.7 mm (P = 0.0005), 13 vs 13 (P = NS), and 7.0% (43/611) vs 9.4% (18/191) (P = NS), respectively. CONCLUSION: The high false-negative result for MRI-detected lesions might arise from the difficulties in MRI-US correlation, which indicates the need for MRI-guided biopsy.

Early results of an endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND.: Endoscopic mastectomy has been reportedly associated with smaller scars and greater patient satisfaction; however, few reports on this topic have been made. The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the early results of endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy (ENSM) and to investigate the safety of this procedure. METHODS.: Between January 2002 and December 2005, a total of 87 patients with breast cancer but without skin and nipple involvement, including two cases of bilateral breast cancer, underwent E-NSM. In case of bloody nipple discharge and suspicious extension near the nipple as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging, the major ducts within the nipple were cored (nipple coring). In other cases, nipple coring was not performed. RESULTS.: Of the 89 breasts in 87 patients, 42 had tumors of >2 cm and 80 were diagnosed as having invasive carcinoma. Lymph node involvement was observed in 36 procedures. The overall rate of nipple necrosis was 18% (16 of 89). The rate of nipple necrosis among the procedures with nipple coring was statistically higher than that among those without nipple coring (7 of 17, 41%, vs. 9 of 72, 13%) (P = .01). Nipple involvement was observed in 2.2% (2 of 89). After a median follow-up period of 52 months, distant metastasis was observed in nine cases; no local recurrences occurred in this series. CONCLUSIONS.: E-NSM is an oncologically safe procedure and an acceptable method in selected patients requiring a mastectomy. The higher rate of nipple necrosis may have been the result of a technical problem, indicating the need for continued improvement in nipple coring procedures.

Bilateral breast MR imaging: is it superior to conventional methods for the detection of contralateral breast cancer?

BACKGROUND: Breast MR imaging has emerged as a highly sensitive modality for the imaging of breast tumors. However, there have been no reports concerning the usefulness of bilateral breast MRI to evaluate the contralateral breast in Japan. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of primary bilateral breast cancer, and to investigate the role of bilateral breast MRI in the detection of contralateral breast cancer. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 556 consecutive women who had undergone surgery for the primary breast cancer. MR imaging was performed on a 1.5-T system. Both the breasts were examined in the coronal plane on the first-, second-, and fourth-phase dynamic images, acquired at 30, 90 s, and 4.5 min, respectively. The affected single breast was sagittally examined on images obtained in the third phase at 3 min. RESULTS: Twenty-four (4.3%) patients had bilateral breast cancer, 14 (2.5%) had synchronous cancer and 10 patients (1.8%) had metachronous cancer. In the 14 cases with synchronous cancer, bilateral breast malignancy was suspected at the time of the initial diagnosis in 6 cases. The detection rate of 18 contralateral breast cancer cases by only MMG, only US, MMG and US, and MRI were 50% (9/18), 67% (12/18), 78% (14/18) and 100% (17/17), respectively. For 8 of these cases with a second synchronous cancer, the corresponding rates were 75, 88, 100 and 100%, respectively. For the 10 cases with a second metachronous cancer, the rates were 30, 50, 60 and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Bilateral breast MRI is a more sensitive for the detection of contralateral breast cancers compared with conventional imaging methods. In particular, bilateral MRI also allows detection of metachronous contralateral cancers at an earlier stage during the postoperative follow-up period.

Categorization of non-mass-like breast lesions detected by MRI.

BACKGROUND: Breast MR imaging has emerged as a highly sensitive modality for the imaging of breast tumors. However, a standardized method of interpretation of lesions showing non-mass-like enhancement does not exist. The purpose of this study was to analyze the features of non-mass-like breast lesions detected by MRI, and to establish a standardized method of interpretation to allow categorization of these lesions. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed for 102 consecutive nonpalpable mammographically occult, non-mass-like lesions detected by MRI that had undergone ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy. MR imaging was performed on a 1.5-Tesla system. The distribution patterns were classified into three categories as follows: single quadrant/solitary lesion (linear), single quadrant/grouped lesion (focal, regional, segmental), and multiquadrant lesion (multiple regions, diffuse). The presence of a ductal pattern was assessed in the enhancing lesions after the tumor distribution had been decided. In addition to the BI-RADS-MRI descriptors, the presence of clustered ring enhancement was also assessed in heterogeneous enhancing lesions. We divided non-mass-like lesions into those with a small (category 3a), moderate (category 3b), or substantial (category 4) likelihood of malignancy. RESULTS: The features with the highest positive predictive value (PPV) for cancer were clustered ring enhancement (67%) (P = 0.004), a branching-ductal pattern (38%) (P = 0.003), and clumped architecture (20%). The PPV for cancer of a linear-ductal pattern was 11% (1/9). All lesions showing multiquadrant distribution, linear-nonspecific lesion, non-branching pattern with homogeneous and stippled internal architectures, and heterogeneous lesion without clustered ring enhancement were diagnosed as benign. CONCLUSION: Non-mass-like breast lesions detected on MRI showing a clustered ring enhancement, a branching-ductal pattern, and clumped architecture should be evaluated further by biopsy (category 4), while lesions not showing these characteristics may be observed without unnecessary intervention (category 3a). Lesions showing a linear-ductal pattern may be followed carefully or evaluated by biopsy as needed (category 3b).

Monitoring of early response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer with (1)H MR spectroscopy: comparison to sequential 2-[18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of (1)H MR spectroscopy (MRS) to evaluate early responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, as compared to that of the standardized uptake value (SUV) in (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included seven patients with breast cancer who had both single-voxel (1)H MRS and PET/computed tomography (CT) acquired before, during, and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: The averages of the Choline (Cho) integral value and peak SUV before chemotherapy were 2.5 (range, 1.2-5.3) and 7.5 (range, 1.9-19), respectively. Three cases became negative for both Cho and peak SUV after two cycles of chemotherapy, and one patient became negative before surgery. In the remaining three patients, the curves of both values paralleled the time course of chemotherapy treatment. The difference between Cho and peak SUV before, during, and after chemotherapy was r = 0.65 (P = 0.12), r = 0.80 (P = 0.03), and r = 0.99 (P < 0.001), respectively. The reduction rate (RR) of both values after chemotherapy was also correlated (r = 0.84, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: A change in the Cho integral value is well correlated with that of peak SUV in the time course of neoadjuvant chemotherapy; thus, breast (1)H MRS is thought to be an alternative to sequential (18)F-FDG PET.

New preoperative MRI marking technique for a patient with ductal carcinoma in situ.

We herein present a case of non-palpable ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with successful breast-conserving surgery (BCS) using MR markers made with commercially available materials in the supine position. The patient was a 40-year-old woman found to have a non-mass lesion by routine screening ultrasonography (US). The margin of the lesion was unclear by the US examination, whereas contrast-enhanced MR mammography (MRM) revealed a clear margin of the lesion. After the resection line was determined by under US guidance, the area was marked by original markers for MRI using the pills of Breath Care inside a Penrose drain. MRM was performed in the supine position (supine MRM), which is similar to the posture used for surgery. The lesion was located within the resection area, but it was not at the center of the resection area; thus, the resection lines were modified using information obtained by MRM. The histological evaluation of the BCS specimen demonstrated a wide extension of the DCIS. The lesion was located at the center of the resection specimen, and the surgical margin was free. In conclusion, since our procedure can be performed easily, it is useful for evaluating the extent of the lesion as determined by the US examination in difficult cases.