[A case of pancreatic metastasis from breast cancer during multimodality therapy].

ABSTRACT

We report a case of pancreatic metastasis from breast cancer during multimodality therapy. A 53-year-old woman received right breast-conserving surgery for invasive ductal carcinoma and then chemo-radiotherapy for liver, brain, bone, neck and axillary lymphnodes, mediastinum, pleural, and spinal cord metastasis. Although she then survived in a tumor-free condition, a blood examination performed 4 years after the surgery showed an elevated serum amylase level. Abdominal CT and US revealed swelling of the pancreas head and body with main pancreatic duct dilatation of the pancreatic tail. ERCP showed diffuse stenosis of the extrahepatic bile duct and the main pancreatic duct of the pancreatic head and body. Immunohistochemical staining of the biopsy specimen from the pancreatic head confirmed pancreatic metastasis from breast cancer. Despite the intensive chemotherapy including trastuzumab, she died 2 years after the onset of pancreatic metastasis. Metastatic breast cancer to the pancreas is very rare. However, considering the recent advances of multimodality therapy for breast cancer, this clinical state may become more common.