Validity of local treatment including intraarterial infusion chemotherapy and radiotherapy for fungating adenocarcinoma of the breast: case report of more than 8-year survival

A 39-year-old woman came to us complaining of severe anemia (hemoglobin: 2.3 g/dl) and a painful right breast that was entirely occupied by an ulcerative, foul-smelling tumor approximately 20 cm in maximum dimension. The tumor, which was determined to be mucinous adenocarcinoma at biopsy, had invaded the chest wall with multiple lung metastases (T4cN2M1 stage IV). After a blood transfusion, the patient received the following multimodal treatment: concurrent chemoradiotherapy (50 Gy), intraarterial infusion chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin 50 mg, mitomycin-C 10 mg, and cisplatin 50 mg, and skin graft surgery. After intraarterial infusion chemotherapy, the fungating tumor disappeared. The patient experienced a relapse of right pleural effusion 2 years later and received multimodal treatment. Now, March 30, 2000, the patient is doing well without local recurrence, 8 years after her first admission. The combination of intraarterial infusion chemotherapy and radiotherapy plays a role in successful treatment of extensive local disease of the breast.