BACKGROUND: Post-irradiation breast sarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive tumor, associated with poor prognosis. However, the mean latent periods reported for postradiation sarcomas after treatment of breast cancer ranges from 5 to 10 years. CASE: We present a rare case of fibrosarcoma of the axilla, diagnosed 23 months after breast surgery and irradiation for medullary poorly differentiated carcinoma, treated with wide local excision with resection of the serratus anterior muscle until pleural wall. CONCLUSION: This case confirm a possible early appearance of sarcoma in the irradiation field after radiotherapy. Thus, when a nodule appears in the irradiation field even if within 2 years after radiotherapy, physician should be alert for a possible sarcoma and wide biopsy with histologic confirmation is auspicable.
BACKGROUND: Post-irradiation breast sarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive tumor, associated with poor prognosis. However, the mean latent periods reported for postradiation sarcomas after treatment of breast cancer ranges from 5 to 10 years. CASE: We present a rare case of fibrosarcoma of the axilla, diagnosed 23 months after breast surgery and irradiation for medullary poorly differentiated carcinoma, treated with wide local excision with resection of the serratus anterior muscle until pleural wall. CONCLUSION: This case confirm a possible early appearance of sarcoma in the irradiation field after radiotherapy. Thus, when a nodule appears in the irradiation field even if within 2 years after radiotherapy, physician should be alert for a possible sarcoma and wide biopsy with histologic confirmation is auspicable.