Adjuvant Therapy for Primary Breast Cancer in a Female Patient Affected by Autoimmune Liver Disease: Does it Cure Breast Cancer and Primary Biliary Cirrhosis?

Abstract

Polychemotherapy (CMF or CMF-like regimens) is the treatment of choice in premenopausal breast cancer patients with 1–3 positive nodes. In clinical practice, patients with abnormal biochemical tests of liver function are usually excluded from this potentially curative methotrexate-containing regimen in order to avoid worsening of hepatic damage. On the other hand, recent reports have shown a beneficial effect of methotrexate in a particular autoimmune liver disease such as primary biliary cirrhosis. We discuss the case of a female patient with breast cancer and primary biliary cirrhosis whose biochemical tests of liver function and the titer of antimitochondrial antibody persistently improved after treatment with 3 cycles of CMF. In conclusion, we suggest that the CMF regimen is potentially useful in patients with breast cancer and primary biliary cirrhosis.