Open AccessCase report of concurrent primary malignancies of the breast and nasopharynx
Author(s) -
Xin-Bin Pan,
Xiaodong Zhu,
Qingdi Quentin Li
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
oncology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1792-1082
pISSN - 1792-1074
DOI - 10.3892/ol.2012.715
Subject(s) - medicine , breast cancer , histopathology , breast carcinoma , nasopharyngeal carcinoma , cancer , oncology , pathology , estrogen receptor , carcinoma , outpatient clinic , radiation therapy
The aim of this study was to report a case of concurrent primary malignancies of the breast and nasopharynx and discuss the potential relationship between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and breast cancer. A 39-year-old female presented with a palpable mass present for 1 year in her left breast. Immunohistochemical staining was performed and the results showed that the tumor cells were immunopositive for the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and p53 protein, and markedly positive for C-erb B2. In addition, 30% of the tumor cells were positive for the Ki-67 antigen. Blood test results revealed that EBV-CA-IgG was present and EBV-EA-IgG was reactivated. The patient was diagnosed with breast cancer (T1N0M0) and EBV infection. A mastectomy with axillary clearance was performed on the left breast. Histopathological examination provided evidence of invasive ductal adenocarcinoma. Further evaluation due to epistaxis following the breast surgery resulted in a diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (T2N1M0). Histopathology showed a non-keratinizing undifferentiated carcinoma. The patient was treated with chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Twelve months following surgery and chemoradiotherapy the patient was assessed at the Cancer Hospital of Guangxi Medical University outpatient clinic and no evidence of relapse or metastasis was found. Thus, EBV infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, as observed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.