Isolated cutaneous metastasis of scalp in breast cancer: A case-report

Abstract

Author(s): Fava Maria Giovanna*, Francesca Maria Plutino, Lorena Turano, Francesco Messina and Del Medico Pietro

Breast Cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy to metastasize to skin in women with recent or late medical history of breast cancer.

Skin metastasis is a generic definition that includes a large grouping of different clinical situations.

In practice, it can be useful a clinical classification that divides cutaneous metastasis in short-term metastasis after a local treatment as local recurrences after conservative surgery and early stage-skin complications, such as nodular satellitosis associated with breastplate cancer or in located advanced and inflammatory breast cancer, distinctly in secondary skin metastasis associated to an Occult Breast Cancer (OBC) and in late cutaneous complications, if they occur after long-term period from a previous breast cancer history without breast-mass or nodule or without others secondary locations. The most important characterization is to distinguish breast cancer cutaneous locations in early or late metastasis.

Occult breast cancer that can be nearly to the breast region or in distant organs is characterized by metastatic presentation of undetectable breast tumour on imaging exams but it is a rare disease (accounting for 0.3% to 1.0% of all breast cancers) and represents a major diagnostic challenge. OBC has a better prognosis than a cutaneous metastasis case. In fact, it may exhibit spontaneous regression or respond to less aggressive treatment strategies as adjuvant therapy.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is a distinct and rare type of cutaneous breast cancer accounting for up to 6% of all breast cancer cases and, despite more aggressive treatments today, it is still a very serious disease with a high mortality.

In case of short-term metastasis or early-stage skin complications, correct diagnosis may be facilitated by anamnestic connection with the recent breast cancer.

Skin metastases are rare and are associated with a significantly higher rate of distant metastasis and uncontrolled local disease as well as a lower rate of survival.

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