Long-term clinical remission following radiotherapy in tracheal adenocarcinoma: review of the published work

A 55-year-old man with tracheal adenocarcinoma presented with difficulty in breathing and cough with blood-tinged expectoration. As the patient refused surgery, he was treated with definitive radiotherapy to the neck and superior mediastinum to a total dose of 50 Gy (initially 40 Gy by AP/PA portals followed by 10 Gy with a three-field technique). He showed significant symptomatic relief to radiotherapy and defaulted from further treatment. He remained asymptomatic for 7 years, following which he developed sternal metastases and a local tumour recurrence. This case illustrates that long-term clinical remission can be achieved by radiotherapy alone in this rare histological subtype of tracheal carcinoma.

Extensive bone metastases from basal cell carcinoma of the eye

The incidence of metastases from basal cell carcinoma is rare. We report a 66-year-old woman who had basal cell carcinoma of the outer canthus of the left eye. Six months following radical radiotherapy, she developed local recurrence for which an orbital exenteration was done. Four months later, she developed rapidly-progressive multiple skeletal metastases and died soon after.

Infiltrating ductal carcinoma of male breast: A retrospective study

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Background: A single-institution retrospective review of the clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of male breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC). Methods: Case records of 25 male patients with a histological diagnosis of infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) of breast who were treated in a single institution between 1997 to 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Patients presented at a mean age of 56 years (range, 34 to 80 years). The presenting complaint was a painless lump in the breast in all the cases. The right breast was involved in 13 cases (52%). There were no cases of bilateral breast cancer. The distribution of patients by stage at presentation are: stage IIA (24%), IIB (20%), IIIA (8%), IIIB (40%), and IV (8%). None of the patients presented with stage I disease. One patient had lung metastases at presentation. Rest of the 24 patients (96%) underwent surgery (modified radical mastectomy, 22 patients; simple mastectomy, 2 patients). Fifteen patients (60%) received adjuvant local radiotherapy. All patients received adjuvant chemotherapy: As per departmental protocol, those presenting before 2000 were treated using a regimen of Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin and 5-Fluorouracil. After 2000, Ebirubicin was substituted for Adriamycin. Three patients were further administered Docetaxel, the indication being disease progression after first line adjuvant chemotherapy. Estrogen & Progesterone receptor positivity was 64% and 60% respectively. Hormonal therapy (Tamoxifen 14 patients, Anastrozole 2 patients) was administered in these patients. The length of follow-up from time of presentation ranged from 4 to 100 months (mean, 28 months; median, 13 months). At the time of analysis, of the 25 patients, 18 patients (72%) remain disease free, whereas 7 patients (28%) developed progressive disease. Median survival was not reached at the present time. Conclusions: Breast cancer, specifically IDC tends to present at a later stage in males, due to a lack of screening for the disease. In the present series, as a result of the advanced stage of initial presentation, all patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. There is a need to improve awareness among males, of the possibility of a painless breast lump being the first symptom of an underlying malignancy.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.