Metaplastic breast cancer with a unique presentation and complete response to chemotherapy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Metaplastic breast carcinomas are a rare variant group of breast carcinomas. They are usually high-grade and triple-negative tumors. They often present with large primary tumor sizes. However, the involvement of axillary lymph nodes is infrequent at the time of diagnosis. Metaplastic breast carcinomas are associated with a worse prognosis and a poorer response to chemotherapy in comparison with other non-metaplastic triple-negative breast cancers. Up until this point, there are no specific treatment recommendations for metaplastic breast carcinomas beyond those intended for invasive breast cancer in general. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old woman complained of a palpable mass in her left axilla. On ultrasonography, the mass was solid, spindle-shaped, hypoechoic with regular borders, and exhibited decreased vascularity. At first, the mass appeared to be of a muscular origin. There was not any clinical nor ultrasonic evidence of a primary breast tumor. On magnetic resonance imaging, the axillary mass was a well-defined with regular borders, measuring 24 × 35 mm. Needle biopsy showed a spindle cell tumor with mild to moderate atypia. The subsequent surgical resection revealed a spindle cell neoplasm within a lymph node, favoring a metastatic origin of the tumor. The tumor cells lacked expression of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. PET-CT scan indicated pathological uptake in the left breast. Accordingly, the patient was diagnosed with metaplastic breast cancer that had metastasized to the axillary lymph node. She commenced a combined chemotherapy regimen of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. After six treatment cycles, she underwent left modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection. Pathological examination of the specimens revealed a total burn-out tumor in the breast due to excellent treatment response. There were no residual tumor cells. All dissected lymph nodes were free of tumor. At the one-year follow-up, the patient showed no signs of tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION: This report sheds light on a distinctive presentation of metaplastic breast carcinoma, emphasizing the need for vigilance in diagnosing this rare and aggressive breast cancer variant. In addition, the patient's remarkable response to chemotherapy highlights potential treatment avenues for metaplastic breast cancer.

Breast cancer quality of care in Syria: screening, diagnosis, and staging.

BACKGROUND: The Syrian decade-long war has severely affected the healthcare system, including almost vanishing cancer screening practices, war-destroyed medical facilities, and lack of continuous medical education. This study aims to present data on the affected breast cancer screening practices, methods of diagnosis, and stages distribution in Syria. METHODS: Medical charts of breast cancer patients treated at Albairouni University Hospital between January 2019 and May 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Eligible patients were women diagnosed with primary breast cancer. Exclusion criteria included females receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and incomplete charts. Data regarding the patient's age, city of residence, marital status, number of children, smoking habits, method of diagnosis, tumor size (T), lymph nodes (N), and distal metastasis (M) were collected. We used Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyze data. Descriptive methodology (frequency [n], percentage) was used. RESULTS: The number of charts reviewed was 4,500. The number of remaining charts after applying the exclusion criteria was 2,367. The mean age was 51.8 (SD = 11.3). More than half of the patients (58.3%) came from outside Damascus -where the hospital is located- and its suburbs. Less than 5% of the population detected cancer by screening mammography. Only 32.4% of patients were diagnosed by a biopsy, while surgical procedures (lumpectomy and mastectomy) were used to diagnose 64.8% of the population. At the time of diagnosis, only 8% of patients presented with local-stage disease (stages 0 & I), 73% had a regional disease (stages II & III), and 19% had metastatic breast cancer (stage IV). CONCLUSION: Our retrospective chart review analysis is the first comprehensive review in Syria for female breast cancer patients. We found a significant low percentage of patients diagnosed based on a screening mammogram, much higher surgical biopsies rather than a simple imaging-guided biopsy, and much lower than the national average of early-stage disease. Our alarming findings can serve as the base for future strategies to raise the population's health awareness, create more serious national screening campaigns, and adopt a multidisciplinary approach to the disease in Syria.

Unattended uterine prolapse during pregnancy in a low-income setting: a case report.

Uterine prolapse (UP) is rare during pregnancy. It sometimes leads to serious complications such as abortion, preterm labor, and maternal death. The main risk factor for UP is previous vaginal childbirth and is usually managed conservatively. However, surgery should be considered in cases of unavailability or failure of conservative approaches. Case presentation: A 34-year-old Gravid4Para3 pregnant woman in the 33rd week of gestation presented with refractory vaginal pain. She had a remarkable history of second-degree UP. Upon presentation, the anterior and posterior cervical lips were swollen, bluish, and protruding through the vagina. Considering the severe pain, the alarming examination findings, and the impossibility of pushing back the protruding mass, a total vaginal hysterectomy was performed. The postoperative pathological study revealed a massive hemorrhage with edematous changes in the vaginal cuff and cervical mucosa in addition to features of placenta accreta, placenta previa, and placenta abruption. Conclusions: UP is a rare but potentially serious condition, especially if it is related to pregnancy. Moreover, managing UP could be challenging in low-income settings, where even simple conservative methods might be unavailable or financially unattainable.

Gastric Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in an Adolescent: A Case Report.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the 11th most common cancer worldwide and the 4th most common pediatric cancer. The GI tract is the most common extranodal site of NHL, making up about 30-40% of extranodal cases. The median age at diagnosis for gastrointestinal NHL (gNHL) is around 61. On the other hand, gNHL is very rare in the pediatric population. Herein, we report the case of a 15-year-old girl who complained of abdominal pain and vomiting after meals, with severe B symptoms (fever, night chills, and severe weight loss). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a mass in the lesser curvature of the stomach. Subsequent biopsy and immunostaining of the sample confirmed the diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. CT and PET-CT scans indicated the involvement of mesenteric and lesser omental lymph nodes. Later on, the patient started an R-CHOP chemotherapy regimen. In this report, we aim to shine the light on such a rare disease in this age group.