Angiosarcoma of the thoracic wall responded well to nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel: A case report

Abstract

An 81-year-old woman visited a local clinic due to chest pain and a skin induration on the right precordia. She had a history of right breast cancer, and she had undergone a mastectomy and radiation therapy 10 years prior. Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the chest demonstrated a lobular mass that involved the right anterior thoracic wall and partially extruded from the thoracic cavity into the subcutaneous tissue. The tumor was surgically excised, and pathological analyses yielded a diagnosis of angiosarcoma. Five months after the operation, CT imaging showed multiple masses on the right pleura, indicating a local relapse and pleural dissemination of the angiosarcoma. Systemic chemotherapy composed of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-PTX) (80 mg/m(2)) was delivered weekly. After 4 courses of chemotherapy, the tumors regressed remarkably. Nab-PTX may be an effective treatment option for recurrent or metastatic angiosarcoma.