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Radiation therapy for primary breast lymphoma in male gynecomastia: a rare case report and review of the literature

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Abstract

Primary breast lymphoma is a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and usually affects women, although a few cases have been reported in men. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy, or a combination of both, are frequently administered for treatment of primary breast lymphoma, as local control by surgical resection is poor. No standard therapy has been established, and the optimal radiation dose and irradiation field for male patients are unknown. The present report describes a 75-year-old man with bilateral cirrhosis-induced gynecomastia who was diagnosed with primary breast lymphoma; specifically, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Because of his hepatic dysfunction, he was treated with radiation therapy alone. Radiation therapy was followed by eight cycles of rituximab monotherapy. Clinical response was good, with no signs of relapse. Clinicians may benefit from knowledge regarding effective treatment of primary breast lymphoma in male patients, which has been rarely reported owing to the low incidence of this condition. The outcome in the present case may help to establish effective treatment guidelines in similar cases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, 30-1 Oyaguchi Kami-cho Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan

    Naoya Ishibashi, Toshiya Maebayashi, Takuya Aizawa, Masakuni Sakaguchi & Osamu Abe

  2. Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

    Masaharu Hata

  3. Department of Radiology, Yokosuka City Hospital, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan

    Takao Mochizuki

  4. Department of Hematology, Yokosuka City Hospital, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan

    Kogi Ogawa

  5. Department of Surgery, Yokosuka City Hospital, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan

    Hiroaki Sugiura

  6. Department of Pathology, Yokosuka City Hospital, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan

    Yoshinori Takekawa

Authors
  1. Naoya Ishibashi
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  2. Masaharu Hata
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  3. Takao Mochizuki
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  4. Kogi Ogawa
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  8. Takuya Aizawa
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  9. Masakuni Sakaguchi
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  10. Osamu Abe
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Correspondence to Naoya Ishibashi.

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Ishibashi, N., Hata, M., Mochizuki, T. et al. Radiation therapy for primary breast lymphoma in male gynecomastia: a rare case report and review of the literature. Int J Hematol 104, 519–524 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-016-2026-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-016-2026-y

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