Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : February 6, 2024 7:51 PM IST
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In a recent rare case, a 54-year-old woman with two different types of breast tumors was successfully treated at a leading hospital in Mumbai. The treatment involved a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Read on to find out what happened.
The patient, who is a dance trainer by profession, noticed a lump in the right breast while bathing, roughly a week before she visited Wockhardt Hospitals at Mumbai's Mira Road. Here, she met Dr Aditi Agarwal, a breast onco-surgeon. "On examination I found lumps in both breasts of different consistency. We performed an X-ray mammography, which revealed lesions in both breasts. On doing a biopsy, it was confirmed there was a rare malignant phyllodes tumor in the right breast and triple negative invasive duct carcinoma in the left one," said the doctor.
She explained that phyllodes tumor accounts for 1 per cent of all tumors and malignant phyllodes tumor accounts for 10-15 per cent of all phyllodes tumors. "Treating two extremely different breast cancers is challenging. In an ideal scenario for triple-negative breast cancer, we prefer neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by surgery. Malignant phyllodes tumors, however, do not respond to chemotherapy. So during the multidisciplinary team discussion, we concluded that it would be best to operate on the patient first and then [do] chemotherapy," said Dr Agarwal.
Attempting to save both the patient's breasts, the team performed a 'bilateral breast conservative surgery' at the same time with the reconstruction of the excised cancer area with surrounding tissue in the form of flaps. "She has recovered well and is looking at life with new dreams and new aspirations," said the doctor.
"I never thought I would have to face a diagnosis of cancer in both my breasts. It was a daunting reality that seemed to shake the very core of my being. Losing a part, or both breasts, to cancer would have been an incredibly traumatic experience for me. It is not just about the physical loss, but also the emotional and psychological impact that comes with it. For us, our breasts are tied to a sense of femininity and sexuality, so losing them can cause a deep sense of grief and loss. The journey -- through breast cancer -- was undoubtedly arduous, but it also brought about a newfound appreciation for life and resilience. The impact of early detection cannot be overstated," the patient was quoted as saying.
According to hopkinsmedicine.org, breast-conserving surgery (BCS) may be used as part of a treatment plan for breast cancer. It is sometimes called a 'lumpectomy' or a 'partial mastectomy'. During BCS, only the part of the breast that has cancer is removed. It depends on the size of the lump and its location.
