Breast cancer metastasis to the thyroid gland: case report
Abstract
BackgroundDistant metastasis is common in highly malignant tumors. However, metastasis to the thyroid gland from extrathyroidal malignancies is extremely rare. Among primary tumors metastasizing to the thyroid, renal cell carcinoma, lung cancer, and head and neck cancer are most frequently reported. Breast cancer, despite its high prevalence, accounts for a disproportionately small fraction of thyroid metastases. Here we present the clinical course of a patient with a history of invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC) who was subsequently found to have thyroid metastasis.Case presentationA 53-year-old female patient had a history of IDC of the breast 10 years ago. She underwent total thyroidectomy due to thyroid nodules with high suspicion of malignancy on PET-CT. Postoperative pathology combined with immunohistochemistry (IHC) confirmed metastasis of breast cancer to the thyroid. Despite receiving endocrine therapy and chemotherapy after surgery, the disease continued to progress, resulting in a poor prognosis.ConclusionMetastases to the thyroid and supraclavicular lymph nodes developing in a patient more than a decade after breast cancer diagnosis present a major diagnostic challenge. A combination of IHC and comprehensive imaging is essential for accurate diagnosis. Understanding the underlying metastatic mechanisms may aid in optimizing surveillance and treatment strategies.
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BibTeX
@article{zhang2026breast,
title = {{Breast cancer metastasis to the thyroid gland: case report}},
author = {Xi Zhang and Hui Jin and Wenchao Qi and Hongzhi Lu and Yuanshi Lv and Shuang Liu and Yanpeng Li and Hong Gao},
journal = {Frontiers in Oncology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fonc.2026.1915267},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1915267},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Breast cancer metastasis to the thyroid gland: case report
AU - Xi Zhang
AU - Hui Jin
AU - Wenchao Qi
AU - Hongzhi Lu
AU - Yuanshi Lv
AU - Shuang Liu
AU - Yanpeng Li
AU - Hong Gao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/09
JO - Frontiers in Oncology
DO - 10.3389/fonc.2026.1915267
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2026.1915267
AB - BackgroundDistant metastasis is common in highly malignant tumors. However, metastasis to the thyroid gland from extrathyroidal malignancies is extremely rare. Among primary tumors metastasizing to the thyroid, renal cell carcinoma, lung cancer, and head and neck cancer are most frequently reported. Breast cancer, despite its high prevalence, accounts for a disproportionately small fraction of thyroid metastases. Here we present the clinical course of a patient with a history of invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC) who was subsequently found to have thyroid metastasis.Case presentationA 53-year-old female patient had a history of IDC of the breast 10 years ago. She underwent total thyroidectomy due to thyroid nodules with high suspicion of malignancy on PET-CT. Postoperative pathology combined with immunohistochemistry (IHC) confirmed metastasis of breast cancer to the thyroid. Despite receiving endocrine therapy and chemotherapy after surgery, the disease continued to progress, resulting in a poor prognosis.ConclusionMetastases to the thyroid and supraclavicular lymph nodes developing in a patient more than a decade after breast cancer diagnosis present a major diagnostic challenge. A combination of IHC and comprehensive imaging is essential for accurate diagnosis. Understanding the underlying metastatic mechanisms may aid in optimizing surveillance and treatment strategies.
SN - 2234-943X
ER -