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Chemotherapy is a safe and effective initial therapy for infected malignant breast and chest wall ulcers
Author(s) -
Dauphin Serge,
Katz Steven,
El Tamer Mahmoud,
Wait Richard,
Sohn Chul,
Braverman Albert S.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9098(199711)66:3<186::aid-jso6>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - medicine , chemotherapy , breast cancer , refractory (planetary science) , sepsis , surgery , radiation therapy , oncology , cancer , physics , astrobiology
Background and Objectives Locally advanced breast cancers may form large, infected skin ulcers, which were traditionally treated with radiation therapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is now standard treatment for locally advanced breast cancer. Methods The response of 33 patients with ulcerated breast cancer to primary chemotherapy was retrospectively analyzed. Antibiotics were not used in primary treatment. Tumor and ulcer responses were evaluated independently. Results Chemotherapy alone healed 18 of these ulcers. Neither responding nor refractory patients developed sepsis during this treatment. Conclusions Chemotherapy is safe and effective treatment for patients with infected malignant breast ulcers and does not cause systemic sepsis. J. Surg. Oncol. 1997;66:186–188. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.