Case Report: Prolonged survival following multimodal treatment of leptomeningeal metastases in triple-negative glycogen-rich clear cell breast carcinoma
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) are a devastating complication of advanced breast cancer and confer an especially poor prognosis in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Therapeutic options for LM remain limited. Glycogen-rich clear cell (GRCC) carcinoma of the breast is an exceptionally rare histological subtype, with poorly defined metastatic patterns and optimal management strategies. This report presents a case of TNBC exhibiting GRCC characteristics, further complicated by LM. A 51-year-old woman was diagnosed with stage IV TNBC with GRCC morphology and concomitant axillary lymph node and liver metastases. Ten months after the initial diagnosis, LM was confirmed by brain magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid cytology. Marked clinical improvement was achieved following ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement and systemic treatment with sacituzumab govitecan (SG). The patient survived for 21 months since the diagnosis of LM and maintaining good functional status until the final month of her life. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of LM arising from GRCC carcinoma of the breast. This case suggests a potential therapeutic role for SG in LM associated with TNBC and raises the hypothesis that VP shunting may enhance treatment efficacy by altering drug exposure. Further studies are warranted to validate these findings.
Source: Frontiers in Oncology
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7223178594