Synchronous primary cancers of the thyroid and breast: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

The current report presents the case of a 41-year-old female exhibiting synchronous primary cancers of the thyroid and breast. Pathological examination of a tissue sample following biopsy identified papillary carcinoma of the thyroid and invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast to provide a definitive diagnosis of synchronous primary tumors. The patient underwent a modified radical mastectomy and total thyroidectomy. Following regular adjuvant chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (800 mg), doxorubicin (100 mg) and paclitaxel (120 mg), once every three weeks for 3.5 months, oral levothyroxine and endocrinotherapy was recommended. Two years after the initial diagnosis, the patient was healthy with no disease recurrence. To the best of our knowledge, no association has been identified between the etiology and diagnoses of the two synchronous primary tumors. Thus, the aim of the current report was to improve the understanding of synchronous primary tumors of the thyroid and breast by presenting a review of the associated literature regarding breast and thyroid cancer. The mechanisms of synchronous neoplasms have only recently been elucidated, however, misdiagnosis is common. Clinicians are, therefore, advised to carefully examine patients with thyroid or breast cancer to avoid an incorrect or misdiagnosis. Furthermore, the present report aims to provide a reference for the cancer database, since the majority of analyses of rare diseases are derived from case reports. To improve the understanding of synchronous primary cancers of the thyroid and breast, an analysis of recent studies regarding the underlying mechanisms of synchronous primary cancers was also undertaken.