Two cases of recurrent breast cancer with regional lymph node metastases showing a complete response to trastuzumab and paclitaxel treatment

摘要

We report two cases of recurrent breast cancer with regional lymph node metastases that responded completely to treatment with trastuzumab and paclitaxel. Case 1: A 52-year-old woman, who presented with left breast cancer, underwent mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection in July 2002. Pathological findings were as follows: invasive ductal carcinoma (scirrhous type), 2.2 cm in size, histological grade 3, positive invasion to the lymphatic and blood vessels, negative nodal status (0/11), negative ER/PgR status, and overexpression of HER 2/neu. Left axillary lymph node metastasis was noted after five months, ie, in December 2002. Four cycles of chemotherapy with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide were administered from January 2003; however, they were not effective. The patient showed a complete response after three months of chemotherapy with trastuzumab and paclitaxel. This treatment was stopped in September 2003. She has maintained a complete response for two and a half years and was not administered any further treatment as of February 2006. Case 2: A 59-year-old woman, who presented with right breast cancer, underwent mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection in May 2002. Pathological findings were as follows: invasive ductal carcinoma (scirrhous type), 1.8 cm in size, histological grade 2, positive invasion to the lymphatic and blood vessels, negative nodal status (0/5), positive ER and uncertain PgR status, and overexpression of HER 2/neu. She had received adjuvant hormonal therapy with tamoxifen; however, a right supraclavicular lymph node metastasis was noted in October 2004. Treatment with exemestane was not effective. However, a complete response was observed with trastuzumab and paclitaxel for four months. She has maintained a complete response for six months and was not administered any further treatment as of February 2006.