Management of pathological femoral fracture secondary to breast cancer in pregnancy: A case report

Oncol Lett. 2016 Jan;11(1):439-441. doi: 10.3892/ol.2015.3900. Epub 2015 Nov 10.

Abstract

Bone metastasis resulting from breast cancer in pregnancy is rare. In the literature there are few reports regarding osteolytic lesions in pregnancy and no data on the treatment of such femoral fractures. The present study reports a case of a 29-week primigravida presenting with severe lumbosciatica in the left side, refractory to medical therapy. During neurosurgical examination a spontaneous pathological fracture of the left femur occurred. Damage control orthopedic principals were applied and a biopsy specimen from the femoral lesion was obtained, providing a diagnosis of metastases from breast adenocarcinoma. Cesarean section was performed at 32 gestational weeks. Following delivery, an internal fixator was placed in the left femur for definitive treatment of the fracture and staging of cancer was conducted. Subsequently, adjuvant treatment comprising left mastectomy and percutaneous radiofrequency thermoablation of the sacroiliac lesion were performed. A follow-up one-year following percutaneous radiofrequency thermoablation of the sacroiliac lesion detected no metastatic bone pain, and identified a stable sacroiliac lesion.

Keywords: breast cancer; osteolytic lesions; pregnancy; radiofrequency thermoablation.