Sarcoid-like reaction in breast cancer: A long-term follow-up series of eight patients

• Main Authors: Stefano Martella, Visnu Lohsiriwat, Daniel Meirelles Barbalho, Paolo Della Vigna, Luca Bottiglieri, Tito Brambullo, Alessandra Gottardi, Mario Rietjens, Jean Yves Petit
• Other Authors: Istituto Europeo di Oncologia
• Format: Article
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Medicine
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/14997
• Institution: Mahidol University

Purpose: Finding an intrathoracic or axillary mass in a breast cancer patient should raise suspicion of a pulmonary or mediastinal nodal metastasis or axillary recurrence. Surprisingly, noncaseating epithelioid cell granuloma can be found in this type of lesion, as in sarcoidosis or a sarcoid-like reaction. Methods: This series included eight breast cancer patients in whom a late sarcoid-like reaction developed: as an intrathoracic lesion in six, and as an ipsilateral axillary lesion in two. The latency period from oncological surgery to the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was 40 months and the average follow-up after the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was 63.38 months. Results: None of the patients suffered relapse or oncological events during the period of this study. Conclusion: To avoid misdiagnosis and overtreatment, pathological examination should always be carried out. We do not recommend any specific treatment for sarcoidosis in a breast cancer patient, but routine oncological follow-up is appropriate. A larger series with statistical analysis is necessary to evaluate the prognosis. © 2011 Springer.