A RARE LATE COMPLICATION OF BREAST-CANCER-TREATMENT

In 1948 Stewart and Treeves recognised and described six cases of lymp hangiosarcoma arising in the oedematous upper limb of patients who had previously undergone radical mastectomy and radiotherapy for breast c arcinoma.1 The incidence of lymphangiosarcoma in such patients is 0.45 %2 and is uniformly aggressive and fatal, with a 5-year survival of le ss than 5% regardless of the treatment modality.3 We present a case re port to increase the clinical awareness of this rare and fatal iatroge nic complication occurring subsequent to breast cancer treatment, and speculate on ways of improving survival.