Case report of long-term survival with metastatic triple-negative breast carcinoma: Treatment possibilities for metastatic disease

Abstract

Rationale: Breast cancer is the most common as well as one of the most devastating cancers among women in the United States. Prognosis is poor for patients with metastatic breast cancer, especially for patients with so-called "triple-negative" disease. The lack of effective therapies for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer outlines the need for novel and innovative treatment strategies.

Patient concerns: A 58-year-old underwent a mastectomy which revealed a recurrent triple-negative breast carcinoma. Afterward, she presented with a growing mass in her left axilla and chest wall. A computed tomography scan showed axillary and supraclavicular adenopathy, nodules in the left upper and lower lobe of the lungs, and 2 areas of disease in the liver. A bone scan showed lesions in the ribs.

Diagnosis: The patient was diagnosed with a recurrent metastatic triple-negative breast carcinoma that spread to the lung, liver, and bones.

Interventions: The patient was treated with metronomic chemotherapy, sequential chemotherapy regimens, and immunotherapy.

Outcomes: The patient is now over 15 years out from her diagnosis of metastatic disease without any evidence of recurrent disease, likely due to the patient's treatment strategy which included sequential metronomic chemotherapy regimens and immunotherapy.

Lessons: Sequential metronomic chemotherapy regimens in combination with immunotherapy might be an effective treatment option for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. We hope that this case can provide some guidance for the treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer and motivate research that can potentially lead to more cases of long-term survival for patients who develop this dismal disease.

Figure 1

An analysis of the original biopsy specimen of the left breast mass from May 2003 revealed a poorly differentiated carcinoma seen with hematoxylin and eosin staining (A). Immunohistochemical staining of the biopsy sections showed that the tumor was negative for estrogen receptor expression (B) negative for progesterone receptor expression (C), and negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression (D).