[A Case of Long-Term Survival Achieved by Aggressive Surgical Treatment for Late Recurrence Following Initial Surgery for Breast Cancer].

We herein report a patient with postoperative late recurrence ofbreast cancer that was resistant to systemic therapy who achieved long-term survival after aggressive surgical treatment. A 53-year-old woman underwent modified muscle-preserving radical mastectomy for right breast cancer in May 1999. Adjuvant therapy with oral anticancer agents and an antiestrogen were initiated. Since the patient was recurrence free for 5 years postoperatively, only the administration of antiestrogen was continued. In November 2007, the administration oforal anticancer agents was resumed on the suspicion ofmetastasis to the right supraclavicular node. Although cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, and 5-fluorouracil(CEF)therapy plus an oral aromatase inhibitor was initiated in February 2008, lymph node enlargement was noted. As other forms of chemotherapy did not produce a favorable response, the patient underwent cervical lymphadenectomy in December 2009. As repeated recurrences were observed thereafter, surgical excisions of the right cervical mass were performed in January, March, and April 2010. In December 2013, right cervical lymphadenectomy was performed. Histological findings of all the excised specimens were consistent with breast cancer metastasis. Since then, the patient has been well without recurrence, although she continues to receive aromatase inhibitor treatment.