[A 23-year delayed locoregional recurrence of breast carcinoma following mastectomy]

A 77-year-old woman who underwent a right modified radical mastectomy 23 years ago with no further adjuvant treatment presented with a right chest wall mass (3 x 4 x 2 cm) at the scar. She had no symptoms nor metastasis. The laboratory data were normal including tumor marker. The mass was diagnosed as compatible with a local recurrence tumor from the previous breast cancer on the ultrasonography and chest CT. After obtaining her informed consent for the therapy, we performed 60 Gy/30 fr radiotherapy on the recurrent tumor on her right chest wall with concurrent oral chemo-endocrine therapy. The first regimens were tamoxifen 20 mg/day and 5'-DFUR 600 mg/day, followed by toremifene 80 mg/day and 5'-DFUR 600 mg/day, and then the tumor disappeared. But three years later, we found tumor regrowth. We changed the regimen, giving 5'-DFUR 1,200 mg/day and cyclophosphamide 100 mg/day for 2 weeks followed by a 1-week drug-free period, then added 10 Gy/5 fr radiotherapy and hyperthermia twice a week. Final regimens were anastrozole 1 mg/day and capecitabine 900 mg/day. The recurrent tumor decreased and the disease stabilized. After these therapies, she had very good quality of life. We recommend radiation and/or hyperthermia with concurrent oral chemo-endocrine therapy as useful for the delayed recurrence of elderly breast cancer after a modified radical mastectomy.