Bilateral inflammatory metachronic ERBB2 (HER2/neu)-positive breast carcinoma: prolonged survival with combined chemotherapy and trastuzumab.

A patient with inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) diagnosed in the left breast responded to cisplatin and was treated with radical mastectomy and adjuvant therapy. Two years later C-erbB2-positive IBC was diagnosed in the right breast, and was treated with mastectomy and radiotherapy. Two years later skin metastases appeared, and trastuzumab was started initially as monotherapy, and later with paclitaxel and capecitabine. More than 12 years after diagnosis and 7 years after trastuzumab was started, the patient remains in complete clinical remission on trastuzumab and capecitabine.