Uncommon Metachronicity: Breast and Endometrial Carcinomas in a Young Woman with No Familial Cancer History - A Case Report

Abstract

Worldwide, breast and endometrial carcinomas are the two most common cancers of women, but their coexistence in a woman <40 years of age is a rare event. The risk of developing a new second primary cancer is higher in cancer survivors compared to those without a history of cancer. The exact pathogenesis of two different primary malignancies is not clear. Still, the coexistence of breast and endometrial carcinoma may be due to germline mutations of p53, BRCA 1, and BRCA 2 genes, environmental, hereditary, and immune-mediated factors. The present case report briefs the finding of a 37-year-old woman who presented to the Gynecological outpatient department with complaints of abnormal uterine bleeding and a solid irregular lump in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast and the right axilla. She had a history of modified radical mastectomy for left breast ductal carcinoma five years back. She was diagnosed as a case of metachronous endometrial carcinoma (stage IA) with a recurrence of invasive ductal carcinoma in the right breast with metastasis to the right axillary lymph node. The metachronous development of breast and endometrial carcinoma in young women is relatively rare. In young patients <40 years of age with gynecological or breast carcinoma, a thorough work-up, including genetic testing and follow-up, should be done for early diagnosis of metachronous or synchronous primary malignancies of other organs.