A case of breast cancer with large cancer ulcer and multiple bone and liver metastasis responding to combination therapy of radiation and chemotherapy

: We report a case of breast cancer in a 58-year-old female patient. In 2005, she was hospitalized for therapy of left breast cancer. The tumor observed was accompanied by invasion of the skin and ribs. At the same time, multiple liver and bone metastases were also observed(solid tubular adenocarcinoma, ER(+), PgR(±), HER2(3+), T4NxM1, stage IV). She was started on radiation therapy and chemotherapy(paclitaxel+trastuzumab). While the liver and bone metastases remained unchanged, the primary focus became noticeably smaller. In the course of follow-up visits, we began to administer her paclitaxel biweekly. This treatment, however, worsened her liver metastases and led us to switch to combination chemotherapy with vinorelbine and capecitabine. After 6 courses of the therapy, her liver metastases disappeared and her tumor marker levels became normal. The combination chemotherapy was continued for 1 year and then followed by 18 months of chemotherapy with capecitabine alone until recurrence of liver metastases was observed. Capecitabine along with cyclophosphamide was orally administered, bringing her tumor marker levels down to the normal range again. After approximately 6 years from the start of treatment, the patient is still alive.