Metachronus endometrial carcinoma in a seventy five year old woman with carcinoma of the left breast treated with tamoxifen.

BACKGROUND

A second cancer is a different type of cancer than the original cancer. It is diagnosed after a completed treatment for the first cancer. Second cancers occur in only one to three percent of survivors. The level of risk is very small. In general, greater numbers of cancer survivors are living longer due to improvements in treatment. Whether or not a second cancer develops is dependent on many factors. These include the age of the patient when treated, the treatment received, the genetic make-up and family history. The actual number of people who will get a second cancer is relatively small. Each cancer survivor's experience is unique. The aim of this report is to call attention to what might be an emerging place of secondary malignancies in cancer survivors in our setting.

METHOD: We report a case seen in our practice of a seventy five year old woman who was treated for invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast and developed invasive endometrial carcinoma about 4 years later.

CONCLUSION

There is a need to be on the lookout for possible second malignancies in cancer survivors. Examination and tests for second malignancies should be part of the routine follow up procedures in this group of patients.