CASE REPORT
Spontaneous pathological complete regression of high-grade triple-negative breast cancer with axillary metastasis
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1
Institute of Pathology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
2
Breast Imaging Unit, Mamma Rt, Kecskemét, Hungary
3
Departments of Oncology and Surgery, Bács-Kiskun County Teaching Hospital, Kecskemét, Hungary
4
Laboratory of Tumour Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Szeged, Hungary
Submission date: 2019-04-19
Final revision date: 2019-04-28
Acceptance date: 2019-04-30
Publication date: 2019-09-04
Pol J Pathol 2019;70(2):139-143
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ABSTRACT
We report on a breast carcinoma with medullary features diagnosed by core needle biopsy in a 72-year-old woman. Both the primary tumour and its fine needle aspiration-proven, rapidly growing axillary metastasis regressed completely in less than 2 months, by the time surgery was performed. The biopsy of the primary tumour demonstrated a dense stromal infiltrate of CD8+/granzyme B+ activated cytotoxic T-cells suggestive of a robust antitumour immune response. Paradoxically, both tumour cells and tumour infiltrating immune cells demonstrated a diffuse PD-L1 expression, revealing that antitumour immune response has the ability to spontaneously overcome inhibitory mechanisms induced by cancerous growth.
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