A Case of Disease Improvement after Treatment with Everolimus plus Exemestane in a Patient with Hormone Receptor-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer with Bone Metastases

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers and a leading cause of death in women worldwide. Despite significant advances in the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, tumor metastasis occurs frequently and is associated with poor long-term prognosis. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway plays a central role in cancer cell growth, proliferation, and resistance to endocrine therapies. Therefore, mTOR inhibitors such as everolimus in combination with nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors might reverse endocrine resistance and improve clinical outcomes in patients. Here, we report on a case of infiltrating lobular carcinoma of the breast with metastases to the bone. Histopathologic analysis showed that the patient was estrogen and progesterone receptor positive and human epidermal growth factor-2 negative. This case represents the clinical spectrum of complications caused by metastasis: the patient experienced a considerable amount of skeletal-related complications, had previously received chemotherapy, and experienced disease progression while taking nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitors. After treatment with oral everolimus 10 mg daily plus oral exemestane 25 mg daily, the patient's disease was ameliorated. Combination therapy was well tolerated, with minimal adverse effects that were manageable with concomitant medications. Although further analyses in larger populations are necessary, the addition of everolimus to exemestane might provide an effective new treatment option for patients with bone metastasis.

Keywords: Advanced breast cancer; Everolimus; Hormone receptor.

Fig. 1

PET/CT scan with [¹⁸F]-fluorodeoxyglucose of hypermetabolic lytic vertebral lesions before (a) and after (b) 10 weeks of everolimus plus exemestane therapy.