A Rare Case of Coexisting Breast Cancer and Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The occurrence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) within six months from a diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) is rarely reported in the literature, and it is associated with a poor prognosis. We report herein the case of a 40-year-old woman referred to our centre affected by BC and simultaneous AML. The p...

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Main Authors: L. Ballotta, S. M. Trisolini, A. P. Iori, U. La Rocca, A. Micozzi, G. Gentile, T. De Giacomo, A. Guarini, R. Foà, S. Capria
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Hematology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8893185
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author L. Ballotta
S. M. Trisolini
A. P. Iori
U. La Rocca
A. Micozzi
G. Gentile
T. De Giacomo
A. Guarini
R. Foà
S. Capria
author_facet L. Ballotta
S. M. Trisolini
A. P. Iori
U. La Rocca
A. Micozzi
G. Gentile
T. De Giacomo
A. Guarini
R. Foà
S. Capria
author_sort L. Ballotta
collection DOAJ
description The occurrence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) within six months from a diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) is rarely reported in the literature, and it is associated with a poor prognosis. We report herein the case of a 40-year-old woman referred to our centre affected by BC and simultaneous AML. The patient proved refractory to first line therapy and achieved complete remission (CR) with a clofarabine-based regimen followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Both during salvage chemotherapy and after ASCT, the patient presented severe infectious complications ( acute cholecistytis and Nocardia pneumonia, respectively) treated with surgery, and currently she is alive in CR for both diseases after 29 months of follow-up. The case highlights the importance of a diagnostic assessment of any unexplained cytopenia in association with solid neoplasia under treatment, underlining the feasibility and priority of a timely treatment of the haematological neoplasm in order to achieve long-term survival.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2090-6560
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language English
publishDate 2020-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Case Reports in Hematology
spelling doaj-art-0f31d9e5f7ab4d0e95b4dfd8098e98f42025-08-20T03:55:44ZengWileyCase Reports in Hematology2090-65602090-65792020-01-01202010.1155/2020/88931858893185A Rare Case of Coexisting Breast Cancer and Refractory Acute Myeloid LeukemiaL. Ballotta0S. M. Trisolini1A. P. Iori2U. La Rocca3A. Micozzi4G. Gentile5T. De Giacomo6A. Guarini7R. Foà8S. Capria9Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery “Paride Stefanini”, Sapienza University, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, ItalyHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyHematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyThe occurrence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) within six months from a diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) is rarely reported in the literature, and it is associated with a poor prognosis. We report herein the case of a 40-year-old woman referred to our centre affected by BC and simultaneous AML. The patient proved refractory to first line therapy and achieved complete remission (CR) with a clofarabine-based regimen followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Both during salvage chemotherapy and after ASCT, the patient presented severe infectious complications ( acute cholecistytis and Nocardia pneumonia, respectively) treated with surgery, and currently she is alive in CR for both diseases after 29 months of follow-up. The case highlights the importance of a diagnostic assessment of any unexplained cytopenia in association with solid neoplasia under treatment, underlining the feasibility and priority of a timely treatment of the haematological neoplasm in order to achieve long-term survival.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8893185
spellingShingle L. Ballotta
S. M. Trisolini
A. P. Iori
U. La Rocca
A. Micozzi
G. Gentile
T. De Giacomo
A. Guarini
R. Foà
S. Capria
A Rare Case of Coexisting Breast Cancer and Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Case Reports in Hematology
title A Rare Case of Coexisting Breast Cancer and Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia
title_full A Rare Case of Coexisting Breast Cancer and Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia
title_fullStr A Rare Case of Coexisting Breast Cancer and Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia
title_full_unstemmed A Rare Case of Coexisting Breast Cancer and Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia
title_short A Rare Case of Coexisting Breast Cancer and Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia
title_sort rare case of coexisting breast cancer and refractory acute myeloid leukemia
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2020/8893185
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