Long-Term Survival and Complete Response to Anastrozole in Breast Cancer Patient With Cutaneous Metastases Only

Abstract

Background/aim: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) represents a wide spectrum of heterogeneous conditions with different secondary spread sites, time to relapse and biology. MBC is still considered an incurable disease despite the fact that survival rates have improved in the last years. Cutaneous metastases are a rare site for metastatic spread and indicate advanced disease. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the excellent therapeutic result following endocrine therapy only in MBC with just skin involvement.

Case report: We present a case of an 82-year-old woman with no family history of breast cancer (BC), who was diagnosed with de novo metastatic estrogen/progesterone receptor-positive and HER2-negative invasive lobular BC. The only site of secondary spread was the skin. She was treated with just endocrine therapy for 116 months with which she achieved and maintained long-term complete clinical response (CR).

Discussion: To our knowledge this is the only case of lobular BC with de novo metastatic manifestation as multiple skin metastases, which achieved CR following the aromatase inhibitor treatment (anastrozole) with such impressive long-term overall survival.

Keywords: Cutaneous metastatic breast cancer; anastrozole; complete response; endocrine therapy.