Management of recurrent breast cancer without systemic therapy butwith natural menopause as endocrine therapy: A report of two cases

Abstract

We have recently managed two women of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive recurrent breast cancer withoutsystemic therapy but with natural menopause. Case 1 was originally diagnosed with ER-positive breast cancer as a 36-year-old premenopausal woman. Seven years after surgery for her primary disease, a solitary lung metastasis developed.Although she has refused endocrine therapy, natural menopause has caused regression of her lung tumor. Case 2 presentedwith ER-positive breast cancer as a 43-year-old premenopausal woman. Nine years after surgery, her disease relapsedwith lung and pleural metastases, and she received LHRH agonist and tamoxifen as first-line treatment. After 4 years ofthis treatment, the disease had progressed. LHRH agonist and tamoxifen were discontinued and she has been followedwithout systemic therapy. She became menopausal and her metastatic disease has decreased. It is concluded that lowserum estrogen levels resulting from natural menopause have acted as endocrine therapy for these patients' metastaticdiseases. © Yamashita et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.