Correction: The Usefulness of AirSeal™ Intelligent Flow System in Gas Insufflation Total Endoscopic Thyroidectomy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s12070-022-03257-0.].

The Usefulness of AirSeal™ Intelligent Flow System in Gas Insufflation Total Endoscopic Thyroidectomy.

Total endoscopic thyroidectomy (TET) using low CO2 insufflation provides cosmetic advantage, excellent working space and visibility. On the contrary, suctioning blood or mist/smoke produced by energy device application causes narrowing of working space especially in neck surgery. In this regard, AirSeal intelligent flow system would be particularly suitable in TET. However, the benefit of AirSeal is unknown in TET unlike abdominal surgery. Therefore, the impact of AirSeal was evaluated in TET in this study. Twenty patients who underwent total endoscopic hemithyroidectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Insufflation was conducted by either conventional or AirSeal system according to the surgeon's preference. Short-term surgical outcomes including operation time, bleeding, frequency of scope cleaning, and disappearance of subcutaneous emphysema were compared as well as actual visibility. AirSeal application dramatically reduced obstacle smoke/mist and prevented narrowing working space by suctioning. Frequency of scope cleaning was significantly less in AirSeal group than that in conventional group (p = 0.016). In patients with nodule < 5 cm, intraoperative hemorrhage was less in AirSeal group than that in the counterpart (p = 0.077) regardless of larger nodule size in AirSeal group (p = 0.058). Notably, subcutaneous emphysema around surgical cavity disappeared significantly earlier in AirSeal group than in the counter parts (p = 0.019). On the contrary, AirSeal application did not shorten operation time in the current study. AirSeal provided excellent visibility and seamless operation. AirSeal has great potential to decrease not only surgeon's stress but surgical invasion on patients. The results in this study give rational to AirSeal application to TET. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-022-03257-0.

Pancreas-contactless gastrectomy for gastric cancer prevents postoperative inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Pancreas-related complications after laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for gastric cancer can be fatal. We developed a gastrectomy procedure with no pancreas contact to prevent such complications and herein report the surgical outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 182 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent LG at Kitasato University Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020. These patients were divided into a pancreas-contact group (C group) and pancreas-contactless group (CL group) for comparison of postoperative complications, and inflammatory parameters such as body temperature (BT) and C-reactive protein (CRP). RESULTS: Postoperative complications of CDc grade ≧ IIIa were significantly fewer in the CL group than in the C group [0/76 (0%) vs. 6/106 (5.7%), P = 0.035]. The median drain amylase (drain-AMY) on postoperative day 1 (POD1) was significantly lower in the CL group than in the C group (641 vs. 1162 IU/L, P = 0.02), as was BT at POD1 (37.4 °C vs. 37.7 °C, P = 0.04), the patient group with a BT above 37.5 °C at POD3 [5/76 (6.5%) vs. 18/106 (17%), P = 0.037], and those showing a CRP above 20.0 mg/dL at POD3 [5/76 (6.5%) vs. 20/106 (19%), P = 0.018]. CONCLUSIONS: Our technique to prevent pancreas contact during supra-pancreatic lymph node dissection during LG could minimize the inflammatory response and prevent further postoperative complications. Further large-scale, prospective studies are now required.

Prognostic values of L-type amino acid transporter 1 and CD98hc expression in breast cancer.

AIMS: L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is a major Na+-independent neutral amino acid transporter, forming a complex with CD98hc. The aim of this study is to investigate the significance of LAT1 and CD98hc in invasive breast cancer. METHODS: LAT1 and CD98hc expression was immunohistochemically assessed in 280 invasive breast cancers and analysed for association with clinicopathological features. RESULTS: High levels of LAT1 and CD98hc were observed in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) possessing negative immunoreactivity with oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, compared with non-TNBCs (NTNBCs), and were associated with lymph-node metastasis and higher nuclear grade. The high-LAT1-expression group showed a poor prognosis in NTNBC and TNBC, however, high-CD98hc-expression group showed a poor prognosis only in NTNBC. LAT1 and CD98hc expression could be the prognostic factors in univariate analyses, but not in multivariate analyses. Further, we found that invasive tumour components showed higher LAT1 and CD98hc expression than non-invasive tumour components. CONCLUSIONS: LAT1 and CD98hc may possess prognostic values in invasive breast cancer. LAT1 may be linked with cancer cell activities and disease progression in breast cancer.

[In Situ Ductal Carcinoma with Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome in a Patient Who Received Contralateral Risk-Reducing Mastectomy-A Case Report].

A woman in her 30s presented to our hospital with the chief complaint of a right breast mass after the birth of her first child. She was diagnosed as having right invasive ductal carcinoma of Luminal-B type and T3N3cM0, stage Ⅲc. While undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, she received genetic counseling and underwent genetic testing and was determined to have deleterious BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. After completing chemotherapy, she underwent a right total mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection. Two years postoperatively, she requested to undergo a contralateral risk-reducing mastectomy( CRRM)of her left breast. Therefore, CT and breast MRI were performed to confirm the absence of contralateral lesions and distant metastases, and subsequently, CRRM was performed. Postoperative pathology results showed non-invasive ductal carcinoma lesions at 5 sites. In the case of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome such as in this study, lesions may be discovered at an early stage by performing risk-reducing mastectomy.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgery for high-risk advanced gastric cancer: long-term results of KDOG1001 trial.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term survival outcomes of KDOG1001 trial after a minimum follow-up of 3 years. METHODS: Patients with bulky N2 lymph nodes, linitis plastica (type 4), or large ulcero-invasive-type tumors (type 3) received up to four 28-day cycles of DCS neoadjuvant chemotherapy (docetaxel at 40 mg/m2, cisplatin at 60 mg/m2 on day 1, and S-1 at 40 mg/m2 twice daily for 2 weeks) followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy plus adjuvant S-1 therapy for 1 year. The final preplanned analysis of long-term outcomes including overall survival and relapse-free survival was conducted after minimum follow-up of 3 years. This trial is registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry, number UMIN 000003642, and has been completed. RESULTS: From May 2010 through January 2017, 40 patients were enrolled. All included patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy with DCS followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy, and 32 (80%) completed adjuvant S-1 therapy for 1 year. After a median follow-up for surviving patients of 68 months at the last follow-up in January 2020, 3-year overall survival rate was 77.5% (95% confidence interval 62.1-87.9%), while 3-year relapse-free survival rate was 62.5% (95% confidence interval 46.8-76.0%). CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 4 cycles of DCS followed by D2 gastrectomy plus adjuvant S-1 was associated with relatively good long-term oncologic outcomes for patients with the high-risk gastric cancer.

[Treatment Regimens for Breast Cancer in Elderly Patients in Whom the Diagnosis Was Switched from Malignant Phyllodes Tumor to Spindle-Cell Carcinoma after Surgery].

The patient was a 79-year-old woman with a left breast mass. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a cystic mass with a diameter of 10×8 cm and an ulcer in the upper outer quadrant and the nipple-areola region of the left breast. Intracystic carcinoma was thus suspected. A mass with a diameter of 1 cm was found in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast. Needle biopsy revealed that a cystic mass in the left breast was diagnosed as a malignant phyllodes tumor. A mass in the right breast was diagnosed as Luminal A breast cancer. The clinical tumor stage was T1N0M0. Computed tomography showed no enlarged bilateral axillary lymph nodes. In the left breast, mastectomy was performed with extensive skin excision above the tumor. In the right breast, partial mastectomy was performed with sentinel lymph node biopsy. On postoperative pathological examination, the diagnosis of left breast tumor was triple-negative spindle-cell carcinoma. The pathological tumor stage was diagnosed as T4bNxM0. Taking into consideration treatment according to breast cancer stage and age, we selected 4 courses of weekly-paclitaxel, endocrine therapy, irradiation to the left chest wall, and irradiation to the residual right breast. The preoperative diagnosis was malignant phyllodes tumor. The postoperative diagnosis was switched from malignant phyllodes tumor to spindle-cell carcinoma. It was therefore difficult to determine the presence or absence of additional resection and postoperative treatment regimens. Even though the preoperative diagnosis was a malignant phyllodes tumor, surgical procedures such as sentinel lymph-node biopsy should be considered, taking into account the possibility of breast cancer.

Lymphocyte-Monocyte Ratio Significantly Predicts Recurrence in Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of evidences shows that systemic inflammatory responses are involved in patient prognosis in multiple cancers. Combinations of peripheral leukocyte fractions have been shown to be useful markers for the inflammatory responses. However, significance of such systemic inflammatory responses is still unknown in thyroid cancer. Accordingly, we aimed to clarify clinical impact of peripheral leukocyte fractions in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). METHODS: Clinicopathological analyses were performed including preoperative leukocyte fractions in 570 patients with curatively resected PTC. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine cutoffs of leukocyte fraction or inflammation indexes such as lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. A Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox's proportional hazard model were used to conduct prognostic analysis. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed for correlation assay. RESULTS: Preoperative low LMR predicted recurrence with high sensitivity (63.3%) and specificity (68.7%) (P = 0.002). The multivariable prognostic analyses revealed that preoperative low LMR (P = 0.025), pathological N1b (P = 0.019), high metastatic lymph node ratio (node density) (P = 0.014), and high thyroglobulin level (P = 0.002) independently predicted worse prognosis. The combination of these independent parameters clearly enriched high-risk patients (P < 0.001). Of note, low LMR was dramatically associated with recurrence especially in patients with advanced PTC. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative low LMR dramatically predicts high-risk patients for recurrences. The results in this study give rational to focusing on immune cell profiles to tackle advanced PTC.

Analysis of the selection of CDK4/6 inhibitors based on experience using palbociclib.

Palbociclib is a first-in-class potent oral inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6 that was approved in the USA in 2015 and in Japan in 2017. Next-generation abemaciclib was approved in the USA and Japan in 2018. The use of palbociclib results in a high frequency of bone marrow suppression, whereas abemaciclib induces a low frequency of bone marrow suppression, but a high incidence of diarrhea. However, the most appropriate uses for these CDK4/6 inhibitors remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed the efficacy and side-effects associated with the use of palbociclib at our hospital and examined the suitability of palbociclib or abemaciclib. Among 35 patients who used palbociclib at our hospital from December, 2017 to December, 2018, the mean age was 39-83 years. The patients receiving treatment with palbociclib with a combination of drugs included 20 patients (57%) receiving fulvestrant, 8 patients (23%) receiving letrozole, and 7 patients (20%) receiving fulvestrant + LH-RH (leuprorelin). Fourteen patients (40%) had a history of receiving chemotherapy, and 21 patients (60%) had no history of receiving chemotherapy. The number of prior treatment regimens was 0-11 (mean, 2.9). The initial dose of palbociclib was 125 mg for 29 patients (83%) and 100 mg for 6 patients (17%). Partial response, stable disease and progressive disease were achieved in 6 (17%), 19 cases (54%) and 10 cases (29%), respectively. Leukocytopenia was observed in 24 cases, neutropenia was observed in 26 cases, anemia was observed in 13 cases, thrombocytopenia was observed in 15 cases, fatigue was observed in 3 cases and itchy skin was observed in 1 case. When the number of neutrophils prior to palbociclib introduction was <3,000, neutropenia of grade 3 or higher was observed in all cases following palbociclib introduction. Thus, in order to avoid grade 3 or higher neutropenia and to maintain relative dose intensity, abemaciclib treatment may be considered for cases with neutrophils of <3,000 prior to the introduction of a CDK4/6 inhibitor.

Anthracycline could be essential for triple-negative breast cancer: A randomised phase II study by the Kanagawa Breast Oncology Group (KBOG) 1101.

BACKGROUND: It is important to determine whether anthracycline-containing regimens or taxane-containing regimens are more effective in individual patients. The present study compared the efficacy of six cycles of docetaxel and cyclophosphamide (TC6) with that of three cycles of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel (FEC-D) in Japanese patients with hormone receptor (HR)-negative breast cancer (BC) to identify subtypes requiring anthracycline treatment. METHODS: The study included 103 patients with operable HR-negative BC. Of these patients 53 received FEC-D and 50 received TC6. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR). The secondary endpoints were safety, breast-conserving surgery, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The predictive factors for each regimen were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 103 patients, 97 completed the study (FEC-D, 50 patients; TC6, 47 patients). The pCR rate was higher with FEC-D (36%) than with TC6 (25.5%); however, the difference was not significant (P = 0.265). TC6 was safer than FEC-D, as the adverse events with docetaxel in the FEC-D regimen were similar to those with the TC6 regimen. Among patients with basal BC, the pCR rate was significantly higher with FEC-D (42.9%) than with TC6 (13.6%; P = 0.033). Among patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the DFS and OS were significantly better with FEC-D than with TC6 (P = 0.016 and P = 0.034, respectively). CONCLUSION: TC6 was not as effective as FEC-D for treating HR-negative BC, as TC6 was not sufficient to treat TNBC, particularly the basal subtype. Our findings suggest that anthracyclines are better treatment options than taxanes for basal BC.

[A Patient with Breast Cancer Who Achieved Continued Clinical Complete Response after Systemic Therapy Alone].

A 53-year-old woman presented at our hospital because of a mass in the left breast. A mass measuring 2 cm in diameter was palpated in the upper outer region(C region)of the left breast. Mammography showed a mass with calcification. Mammary ultrasonography showed a mass measuring 18×16×14mm and enlarged lymph nodes in the left axillary region. Core needle biopsy revealed Luminal B invasive ductal carcinoma(scirrhous type). The estrogen receptor(ER)positivity was 95%, progesterone receptor(PgR)positivity was 60%, human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2(HER2)score was 2+, fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)showed no amplification, and Ki-67 index was 60%. Clinical T1N1M0, StageⅡA cancer was thus diagnosed. As preoperative chemotherapy, the patient received 4 courses of treatment containing epirubicin (100mg/m2), 5-fluorouracil(500mg/m2), and cyclophosphamide(500mg/m2; FEC100), and 4 courses of treatment containing docetaxel and cyclophosphamide(TC). Clinical complete response(cCR)was confirmed on imaging studies. The patient was explained about the need for surgery, but she refused to undergo surgery. The patient is being followed up while receiving endocrine therapy, and there has been no recurrence or metastasis as of 2 years. We described our encounter with a patient with breast cancer who refused surgery after preoperative chemotherapy and has had no recurrence or metastasis during follow-up.

Differential Prognostic Relevance of Promoter DNA Methylation of CDO1 and HOPX in Primary Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We previously identified that promoter DNA methylation of cysteine dioxygenase type 1 (CDO1) and homeobox only protein homeobox (HOPX) were both cancer specific, and have a clinical potential as prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer (BC). The present study compared the differential prognostic relevance of methylation status of the CDO1 and HOPX genes in BC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Methylation levels (TaqMethVs) were quantified in 7 BC cell lines and 133 BC patients by TaqMan methylation-specific PCR and functional traits were explored for CDO1. RESULTS: TaqMethVs were associated between CDO1 and HOPX (r2=0.072, p=0.002). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model could identify CDO1 hypermethylation as well as Ki-67 as independent prognostic factors related to disease-specific survival (p=0.016, p<0.001). Overexpression of CDO1 decreased the anchorage-independent growth capacity in BC cell lines. CONCLUSION: CDO1 is a definite tumor suppressor gene, while its prognostic relevance was more than expected in the context of its functional relevance.

[A Case Report of Breast Cancer Followed Up as Intraductal Papilloma].

The patient was a 50-year-old woman. She had been diagnosed with bilateral breast tumors at another hospital 5 years previously and was followed up every 2 months. Ultrasonography showed hypoechoic masses in her breasts. The largest tumor in the right breast was 15mm in diameter and located in region A, while that in the left breast was 8mm in diameter and located in region B. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)showed multiple bilateral breast tumors. The largest tumor was 12mm in diameter and was suggestive of breast cancer. Core needle biopsies(CNB)of the largest tumors in both breasts were performed. Intraductal papilloma(IDP)and low-grade intraductal papillary carcinoma were diagnosed in the right and left breasts, respectively, on immunohistochemical staining. We performed left nipple-sparing mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy and right tumor excision for diagnoses of carcinoma of the left breast(cTisN0M0)and IDP of the right breast. The histopathological diagnosis of the left breast tumor was pT1aN0M0, triple negative breast cancer with extensive intraductal components, and that of the right breast tumor was IDP with atypical ductal hyperplasia. Chemotherapy was administered postoperatively. Several studies have reported that peripheral IDP often coexists with or follows the development of carcinoma. Therefore, we should also closely follow-upthe patient's right breast.

[A Case of Recurrent Breast Cancer with Contralateral Axillary Node Recurrence Cured after Mastectomy for Ipsilateral Breast Tumor Recurrence].

A 65-year-old woman was treated with breast-conserving therapy for dissection of the left breast and axillary lymph nodes. Histopathological diagnosis was invasive breast cancer(scirrhous), T1cN2M0, stageⅡB, ER+/PgR+/HER2-. Approximately 4 years later, a mass found in her left breast was confirmed to be ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence(IBTR). Left mastectomy was performed because no clear metastasis was found on whole-body examination. Histopathological diagnosis was invasive breast cancer(solid-tubular), ER-/PgR-/HER2-. IBTR was of a different type, compared to the primary breast cancer. In the follow-up period, multiple axillary lymph node metastases were found in the right axilla. Histopathologically, 20 lymph node metastases were found, and ER-/PgR-/HER2-breast cancer-related lymph node recurrence was diagnosed. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy(PTX, TS-1)was administered. In the 10 years following IBTR, there has been no recurrence, and it is thought to be completely cured. Usually, contralateral axillary lymph node recurrence is treated the same way as distant metastases because they are extra-regional lymph nodes; however, this strategy is not applicable to IBTR. When surgery is performed for IBTR, the contralateral axillary lymph node may become a new sentinel lymph node, and thus, sufficient examination and accurate risk assessment may be necessary before surgery for local control.

Lymph node metastasis and high serum CEA are important prognostic factors in hormone receptor positive and HER2 negative breast cancer.

In recent years, treatment options for breast cancer have increased, and prognosis has improved since the 1990s. The present study examined the prognosis for recurrence of breast cancer between 2006 and 2009, in comparison with the results of past treatments, and sought to guide future treatment strategies by elucidating present prognostic factors. A total of 662 patients with breast cancer stage 0-III who underwent surgery at Kitasato University Hospital between January 2006 and March 2009 were included. Cases were classified into four subtypes, based on the presence or absence of hormone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Factors associated with recurrence and prognosis were then examined. The 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 94.9% and the 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 98.4%. Factors related to RFS were pathological lymph node (pN) positive [hazard ratio (HR)=2.85, P=0.001], clinical lymph node (cN) positive (HR=2.28, P<0.01), and hormone receptor negative (HR=1.83, P<0.05). Factors associated with DSS were cN positive (HR=4.55, P<0.01), pN positive (HR=3.40, P<0.05), higher preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (HR=3.04, P<0.05), and hormone receptor negative (HR=2.32, P<0.05). In the hormone receptor positive HER2 negative, cN-positive/pN-positive breast cancer group, RFS and DSS were poorer compared with the other groups. In this group, preoperative high CEA level was a poor prognostic factor. The prognosis for hormone receptor positive HER2-negative breast cancer has improved significantly since the 1990s. On the other hand, the prognosis for cN-positive/pN-positive breast cancer was poor. Pre-treatment serum CEA positive cases exhibited a particularly poor prognosis.

Management of Breast Cancer in Adjuvant Chemotherapy Settings in the Kanagawa Breast Oncology Group.

OBJECTIVE: Many different options for adjuvant chemotherapy are recommended in guidelines for the treatment of breast cancer. Therapeutic strategies vary among physicians. The major goals for this project were to gain a better understanding of how biomarkers are integrated into practice and how physicians select adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: We assembled a questionnaire with 23 example scenarios of breast cancer cases, including 6 items relevant to postoperative adjuvant therapy. During October-November 2012, the questionnaire was submitted to 131 physicians engaged in breast cancer treatment in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. RESULTS: Forty-eight physicians responded to the questionnaire, 46 of whom provided valid responses. Their responses revealed a notable lack of consensus regarding therapeutic choices. We analyzed 6 scenarios relevant to postoperative adjuvant therapy. In general, the selection of postoperative adjuvant therapy appeared to be based on hormone sensitivity, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression, lymph node metastasis, tumor size, histological/nuclear grade, vascular/lymphatic system invasion, Ki67 level, Oncotype DX score, and the patient's age. CONCLUSION: Given the varied therapeutic choices that we observed, clinical research is needed to provide appropriate, unified therapeutic strategies.

[A Long-Surviving Case of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer with Brain Metastasis Treated through Multidisciplinary Therapy].

We present a case of a 48-year-old woman who visited our hospital due to a lump in her left breast. She was diagnosed with HER2-positive, hormone-positive stage III A breast cancer. The patient underwent trastuzumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery(Bt+Ax). The pathological effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was Grade 1b. The patient underwent radiotherapy and was administered hormone therapy and adjuvant trastuzumab. Seven months postsurgery, the patient was taken to the hospital for loss of consciousness. Single brain metastasis with a diameter of 3 cm was found in the right frontal lobe with edema. She underwent surgery and was administered chemotherapy with lapatinib and capecitabine. Because of relapse of brain metastasis, she underwent 4 surgeries and 5 sessions of gamma-knife radiosurgery. She died 7 years after the detection of brain metastasis. The prolonged survival of this breast cancer patient with brain metastasis seems to be a result of multidisciplinary therapy, local therapy(surgery and radiation), and systemic therapy(chemotherapy). Cooperation between the radiation therapy department and the neurosurgery department was thought to be important for the treatment of the metastatic brain tumor.

[Which Should be Treated First - Breast Cancer or Uterine Myoma?]

The patient was a 51-year-old woman with a mass in the left breast.At the first presentation, she had abdominal distension and liver dysfunction.Mammography showed a category 5 mass in the left breast and a category 4, unstructured region in the right breast.Pathological examination revealed bilateral, invasive ductal carcinomas.Stage II B disease(clinical T2N1M0)was diagnosed in the left breast, and Stage I disease(clinical T1N0M0)was diagnosed in the right breast.Computed tomography revealed a massive uterine myoma compressing the inferior vena cava.Liver dysfunction was suspected to be caused by these factors.Preoperative chemotherapy was scheduled to treat breast cancer.A gynecologist stated that "uterine myoma is unlikely to cause liver dysfunction" and refused to perform a hysterectomy.However, we diligently negotiated with him to avoid chemotherapy-induced venous thrombosis and pulmonary infarction; eventually, a hysterectomy(3.6 kg)was performed. After surgery, liver function was normal.Subsequently, breast cancer could be safely and adequately treated.In patients who have benign disease, as well as malignant tumors, treatment of the malignant tumors is generally given the highest priority.However, there are cases when the treatment of benign disease has priority over the treatment of malignant tumors.It is therefore important to intensively discuss such cases with physicians from other departments.

[A Case Report of Ipsilateral Nipple Skin Recurrence].

We report our experience with a patient with breast cancer who showed recurrence in the nipple skin 5 years and 10 months after a breast-preserving surgery. The patient was a woman, and was 65-years old at the time of initial surgery. Breast-preserving surgery and axillary lymph-node dissection were performed for left breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast(pT3N0M0)was triple-negative, and the patient postoperatively received adjuvant chemotherapy. Left breast pain developed 5 years and 6 months after surgery. Computed tomography showed no evidence of recurrence, and the symptoms resolved after treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs). After 3 months, however, the left nipple had enlarged to about 1.5 cm, and the surrounding skin was red and painful. Treatment with NSAIDs was thus resumed. After 1 week, redness of the nipple skin and pain were improved. However, the nipple had enlarged to twice its normal size. Nipple skin biopsy was subsequently performed, and revealed adenocarcinoma invading the skin. Left axillary lymph-node metastasis was suspected, but there was no evidence of metastasis to other sites or recurrence. Conservative total mastectomy with axillary lymph-node dissection was thus performed. The histopathological diagnosis was the recurrence of invasive ductal carcinoma, arising mainly in the reticular layer of the dermis. Chemotherapy was administered postoperatively. There has been no evidence of recurrence as of 1 year after surgery.