Unusual presentation of superior vena cava syndrome secondary to breast cancer

We present a rare case of a woman in her 50s with recurrent, metastatic breast cancer who developed superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome, followed by in-stent thrombosis. SVC syndrome is an uncommon presentation in breast cancer, typically caused by malignancies like lung cancer or lymphoma. Initial imaging revealed a mediastinal mass causing vascular invasion of the SVC. Despite stent placement and palliative treatments, she experienced recurrent symptoms due to complete occlusion of the stents. Further interventions included angioplasty and stent realignment, followed by anticoagulation. This case highlights the complexities of managing SVC syndrome and emphasises the potential for recurrent thrombosis.

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Publication Details

Journal
BMJ Case Reports
Published
2025-10-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2025-266865
Primary Topic
Cancer Treatment and Pharmacology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Unusual presentation of superior vena cava syndrome secondary to breast cancer

Mary O’Keefe, Chris Doyle, Savannah Roy, S. Sharma et al.
BMJ Case Reports
Cancer Treatment and Pharmacology
article

Unusual presentation of superior vena cava syndrome secondary to breast cancer

Mary O’Keefe, Chris Doyle, Savannah Roy, S. Sharma, L.-Y. Lui
article en

Abstract

We present a rare case of a woman in her 50s with recurrent, metastatic breast cancer who developed superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome, followed by in-stent thrombosis. SVC syndrome is an uncommon presentation in breast cancer, typically caused by malignancies like lung cancer or lymphoma. Initial imaging revealed a mediastinal mass causing vascular invasion of the SVC. Despite stent placement and palliative treatments, she experienced recurrent symptoms due to complete occlusion of the stents. Further interventions included angioplasty and stent realignment, followed by anticoagulation. This case highlights the complexities of managing SVC syndrome and emphasises the potential for recurrent thrombosis.

BMJ Case ReportsVol. 18(10)
Denver Health Medical Center (US), University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (US), University of Colorado Denver (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 62%
Cancer Treatment and Pharmacology
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