Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation Precedes Early Locoregional Recurrence following Mastectomy in Low-Risk Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Longitudinal Case Report.

INTRODUCTION

Early locoregional recurrence in low-risk early-stage breast cancer following mastectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy is a relatively infrequent event. Sufficient empirical evidence is sparse to support commonly accepted explanations relating to inflammation as a recurrence risk factor that precedes and likely promotes cancer recurrence evolution.

CASE PRESENTATION: Dynamics of circulating tumor cells, tissue change, and low-grade inflammation were recorded in a representative breast cancer survivor follow-up case having relapsed 31 months after treatment completion. Prospective longitudinal testing was conducted based on a cell-based liquid biopsy platform supporting multi-rare cell marker analysis. The study provided evidence for the inflammation theory relating to epithelial tissue inflammation detectable at baseline, steady progression in marker abnormality, and chronic low-grade systemic inflammation appearing in cyclical patterns.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, our observations of persistent inflammation prior to relapse provide deeper insights into pathology progression and contribute to emerging data to support the inflammation hypothesis.