Challenges in the Correct Assessment of a Case of Aggressive Thyroid Carcinoma with Synchronous Breast Cancer: A Case Report and Review of the Literature of Essential Role of Radiopharmaceuticals

Abstract

Thyroid carcinoma represents a complex pathology that can still be considered a medical challenge, despite having a better prognosis and life expectancy than most other neoplasms; also the scenario of multiple malignancies involving thyroid cancer is nowadays a common reality.

Materials and methods: We reviewed the literature regarding the aggressive presentation of synchronous thyroid and breast cancer. In the current paper, we report the case of a 59 years-old woman, diagnosed with invasive ductal breast carcinoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma, presenting a natural history of both aggressive synchronous tumors. At the moment of hospitalization, the diagnosis was breast carcinoma with multiple secondary lesions, suggestive of lung and bone metastases, and nodular goiter.

Results: Searching the literature in PUBMED with the terms "thyroid carcinoma and synchronous breast carcinoma, we found 86 studies; introducing the term "aggressive," the result included 4 studies, among which, none showed to be relevant to the terms aggressive and synchronous. A similar search was done in SCOPUS finding 92 documents and after introducing the term aggressive, the number of papers was 8, none including the literature on synchronous aggressive metastatic thyroid and breast carcinoma. A majority of imaging diagnostic tools were used in this particular medical case in order to ensure the best potential outcome. The final diagnosis was papillary thyroid carcinoma with lung and unusual multiple bone metastases and synchronous invasive ductal breast carcinoma with subcutaneous metastases.

Conclusion: The case illustrates the challenges in the correct assessment of oncologic patients, despite the advances in medical imaging and technologies and underlines the essential role of nuclear medicine procedures in the diagnostic and therapy protocols.

Keywords: Thyroid carcinoma; aggressive; breast carcinoma; diagnostic algorithm; radiopharmaceuticals; synchronous.