Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast after cured bilateral breast cancer

Abstract

Background: Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the breast is a rare and aggressive neoplasm that constitutes approximately 0.1% of all breast carcinomas. Before the tumor can be classified as a true SCC of the breast, certain criteria need to be fulfilled. These are: i) more than 90% of the malignant cells must be of squamous cells origin; ii) tumor is independent from the overlying skin and nipple; iii) other sites of primary SCC have been excluded.

Case report: We describe a case of pure SCC of the breast that arose 15 years after local radiation for a primary adenocarcinoma of the breast in a 54-year-old woman with history of bilateral breast cancer. The tumor was triple-negative with a high Ki-67 index. The patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel and oral fluorouracil.

Conclusion: There are no specific guidelines for the treatment of primary SCC of the breast. Larger series are necessary to determine if different strategies of treatment and follow-up are necessary and if prognosis is really comparable to other histotypes of cancers of the breast.

Keywords: Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast; SCC; bilateral breast carcinoma; radiotherapy.