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Case Reports
. 2021 Feb 16:2021:6673289.
doi: 10.1155/2021/6673289. eCollection 2021.

Cutaneous Metastasis vs. Isolated Skin Recurrence of Invasive Breast Carcinoma after Modified Radical Mastectomy

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Case Reports

Cutaneous Metastasis vs. Isolated Skin Recurrence of Invasive Breast Carcinoma after Modified Radical Mastectomy

Reza Hosseinpour et al. Case Rep Dermatol Med. .

Abstract

Background: Five to ten percent of the patients with operable breast cancer develop a chest wall recurrence within 10 years following the mastectomy. One of the most distressing presentations of locally recurrent breast cancer is the appearance of cutaneous metastases. To the best of authors' knowledge, there is no study distinguishing skin metastasis from local recurrence, so the main aim of this report was to elucidate if these two features are important in the prognosis and management of the disease. Case Presentation. A 51-year-old woman referred to the breast clinic due to a painful mass in the left breast. The patient underwent the modified radical mastectomy (MRM) and left axillary lymph node dissection followed by 30 sessions of radiotherapy and 8 sessions of chemotherapy (T3N1M0, ER-, and HER2+). About 15 months after the surgery, she presented with redness and eruptive lesions over the mastectomy scar that increased in size within a three-month follow-up.

Conclusion: Mastectomy is not an absolute cure in the treatment of an invasive breast cancer because almost always, there is a recurrence risk and possibility of metastasis. It is vital to differentiate between local recurrence and skin metastasis because it would alter the overall treatment decision, prognosis, and patient outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors of this article declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Indurated erythematous ulcerative papulonodular plaque appearance lesion on the previous MRM scar.

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