Tumor-associated Fever in Recurrent Breast Cancer with Liver Metastases

GJ Zhang; I Adachi I; R Okamoto; T Watanabe; M Narabayashi; Y Tokue; N Katsumata

doi:10.1007/BF02967045

Tumor-associated Fever in Recurrent Breast Cancer with Liver Metastases

Breast Cancer. 1994 Dec 30;1(2):145-150. doi: 10.1007/BF02967045.

Authors

GJ Zhang¹, I Adachi I, R Okamoto, T Watanabe, M Narabayashi, Y Tokue, N Katsumata

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104, Japan.

PMID: 11091523
DOI: 10.1007/BF02967045

Abstract

Of 67 patients with recurrent breast cancer accompanied by liver metastases admitted to our facility between January 1990 and August 1993, 8(12%) were found to have tumor-associated fever. We examined the characteristics of these patents. These patients had fever (over 38 degrees C) for more than one week. Their leukocyte counts did not exceed 10000/mm(3), and C-reactive protein (CRP) was below 5 mg/dl in 6 patients. ALL 8 patients had extensive liver metastases. Six patients had massive metastatic lesions, while the remaining 2 had diffuse metastases. Following systemic chemotherapy, 3 patients showed a reduction in tumor size and remission of fever; they remain alive at 14, 16 and 19 months after treatment. Of the remaining 5 patients who did not respond to systemic chemotherapy, 4 died within 6 months. The results of this study suggest that unexplained fever in patients with recurrent breast cancer is closely related to liver metastases.