Donor-derived breast cancer in a bone marrow transplantation recipient

• DOI: 10.1007/s10549-008-9922-7
• Publication Date: 2008-02-08T12:03:43Z
• Authors: Vassilis Golfinop...; George Pentheroud...; Smaragda Kamakari; Vasiliki Metaxa-M...; Nicholas Pavlidis
• Keywords: Myeloid; Transplantation, Homologous/*adverse effects; Pluripotent Stem Cells/pathology/*transplantation; Transplantation Conditioning; Cancer regression; Epithelial cells; Hematopoietic stem cell; Metastasis; Breast cancer; Epithelial Cells/pathology; Cell differentiation; Living Donors; Short tandem repeat; Alemtuzumab; Mastectomy; Priority journal; Breast epithelium; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Leukemia; Breast carcinogenesis; Genetic analysis; Neoplastic stem cells; Stromal Cells/drug effects/physiology/radiation effects; Cytarabine; Neoplastic Stem Cells/*pathology; Cell Differentiation; Bone Marrow Transplantation/*adverse effects; DNA, Neoplasm; Allogenic bone marrow transplantation; Immunohistochemistry; Transplantation conditioning; 3. Good health; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Leukemia, Myeloid; Lymphatic Metastasis; Acute Disease; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Female; Transplantation Conditioning/adverse effects; Donor; *Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Human; Homologous; Adult; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Bone marrow transplantation; Adolescent; Echomammography; Lymphatic metastasis; Histopathology; Breast Neoplasms; Adenocarcinoma/*etiology/genetics/pathology; Leukemia, Myeloid/surgery; Adenocarcinoma; Article; Epidermal growth factor receptor 2; Pluripotent stem cells; Case report; Humans; Living donors; Cyclophosphamide; DNA, Neoplasm/genetics; Stromal cells; Acute disease; Transplantation; Neoplastic; Chimera; Breast adenocarcinoma; Epithelial Cells; Dna; Hematopoietic Stem Cells; Acute granulocytic leukemia; Hematopoietic Stem Cells/*pathology; Breast Neoplasms/*etiology/genetics/pathology; Cell transformation; Neoplasm; Graft recipient; Whole body radiation; Breast neoplasms; Bone marrow examination; Stromal Cells; Idarubicin; Hematopoietic stem cells

We present the case of a young lady who had been treated for acute myelocytic leukemia at the age of 14 by means of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, the donor being her sister. At the age of 28 she underwent modified radical mastectomy for invasive breast adenocarcinoma. Genetic analysis revealed chimeric cellular populations on both the tumour and normal tissues of the patient with preponderance of donor-derived cells. We conclude that the patient's epithelia had been repopulated by donor-derived hemopoietic stem cells which gave rise to a malignant mammary neoplasm several years later. The donor remains healthy to date. This case adds weight to the theory of pluripotent normal and neoplastic stem cell histogenesis and emphasizes the pivotal role of supporting host stroma in carcinogenesis.