Simultaneous Occurrence of Breast Cancer Metastases and Cervical Cancer Metastases in the Same Lymph Node

The simultaneous occurrence of different cancer types in the same individual is an uncommon event. We present a case of synchronous metastases of breast cancer and cervical cancer in the same lymph node in a patient with a history of cervical cancer with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

This article is a descriptive case report of a single patient treated at our institution. No statistical analysis was performed.

Following the recommendation of our interdisciplinary tumor conference, we began treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy in reverse order, with four cycles of carboplatin/Taxol (corresponding to first-line chemotherapy for cervical cancer), followed by four cycles of EC (epirubicin and cyclophosphamide) (corresponding to first-line chemotherapy for breast cancer), mammoplasty, and adjuvant radiotherapy, including internal mammary and supraclavicular node irradiation. By adjusting therapy regimens, it was possible to achieve complete remission of both the primary and secondary tumors.

The occurrence of synchronous cervical and breast cancer is extremely rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. A definitive correlation between the two cancers cannot currently be established due to limited cases. Because of this rarity, treatment planning is particularly complex and requires an individualized, multidisciplinary approach. A combination of systemic therapy, radiotherapy, and surgery may achieve complete remission in selected patients, as we saw in our case. Mortality rates remain unclear due to the limited number of reported cases.