A case of metastatic pancreatic cancer which trastuzumab+capecitabine combination therapy was effective

A 61-year-old woman presented with carcinoma of the left breast(T2N1M0, stage II B), which enforced left Bt+R1. In May 2008, the patient underwent preoperative chemotherapy consisting of 4 courses of FEC 75(fluororracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide). Pathological examination revealed that the lesion was a papillotubular carcinoma,(ER-, PgR-, HER2 3+). In September, 2009, CT scans revealed metastases of the cervical lymph nodes and pancreas. Examination of biopsy specimens from the left cervical lymph nodes revealed that the metastases were from breast cancer(ER-, PgR-, HER2 3+). To treat the recurrences, combination therapy with trastuzumab+capecitabine was introduced in October, 2009. CT scans obtained in May 2010 revealed complete response of the metastases of the lymph nodes and pancreas. It is difficult to distinguish a metastases from a primary pancreatic cancer, but the present case was considered to be one of metastic pancreatic cancer because the findings were in agreement with the expression time of lymph node metastasis. Follow-up CT scans revealed that CR was maintained by the combination therapy of trastuzumab+capecitabine.