METACHRONOUSLY OCCURRED MALIGNANT LYMPHOMAS OF THE BREAST AND UTERUS AFTER A LONG-TERM REMISSION OF MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA OF THE CONTRALATERAL BREAST

A 62-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of a right breast tumor. Previous history disclosed that she underwent a mastectomy for a malignant lymphoma of the left breast with 3courses of VEMP regimen 6years before. Thereafter she was doing well without any sign of recurrence until the contralateral breast mass occurred. Based on the result of an aspiration biopsy cytology (ABC) and a rapid progress of the tumor, it was diagnosed as malignant lymphoma of the breast. Further, an exploration of the wholebody revealed a tumor in the uterus. As no other lesions were detected, a mastectomy and hysterectomy were performed. Histological study of the resected materials revealed diffuse large cell type that was more malignant than the former lesion, but it was obscure whether these lesions were recurrence from the malignant lymphoma of the left breast or metachronous occurrence. In the treatment of malignant lymphoma, the patient should be strictly followed for a long time by entertaining a probable relapse.