Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
06:53
Modeling Primary Bone Tumors and Bone Metastasis with Solid Tumor Graft Implantation into Bone
Published on: September 9, 2020
2.8K
Ewing's Sarcoma: An Uncommon Breast Tumor
Sawsen Meddeb1, Mohamed Salah Rhim2, Mouna Kouira2
1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Farhat Hached University Hospital , Sousse, Tunisia ; Research Laboratory in Quality of Maternal Health Care in Tunisia , Sousse, Tunisia.
Clinics and Practice
|October 22, 2014
Summary
Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) are rare aggressive cancers. This case highlights a PNET in the breast, emphasizing diagnostic challenges and successful treatment with chemotherapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors (EWS/PNET) are rare, aggressive malignancies typically affecting children and young adults in the trunk and lower limbs.
- Primary PNET of the breast is exceptionally uncommon, presenting diagnostic challenges due to non-specific imaging findings.
Observation:
- A 43-year-old woman presented with a painless, rapidly growing breast mass initially misdiagnosed as fibrocystic changes on core needle biopsy.
- Histopathological examination and immunohistochemical analysis confirmed primary PNET of the breast.
Findings:
- The patient underwent a lumpectomy, followed by a modified radical mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection due to positive surgical margins.
- Adjuvant chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, and vincristine was administered.
- The patient remained disease-free with no recurrence or metastasis at 20 months post-treatment.
Implications:
- PNET of the breast requires a high index of suspicion for accurate diagnosis, often necessitating immunohistochemistry and genetic studies (t(11;22) translocation) for confirmation.
- Multidisciplinary management including surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy can lead to favorable outcomes in rare cases of primary breast PNET.
