T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma of the breast: A retrospective observational study and literature review

This study aims to explore the diagnosis and treatment of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) of the breast. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of a patient with breast T-LBL jointly managed by our hospital and Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai. A systematic literature review was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, China Biomedical Literature Database, China national knowledge infrastructure, Wanfang, and Wipro databases up to May 10, 2024, using Boolean operators (e.g., ("T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma" OR "T-LBL") AND ("breast" OR "mammary")). Including our case, 11 patients were studied. All were female (mean age 31.81 ± 11.97 years). Five cases involved both breasts, 6 were unilateral. Ten cases had extramammary involvement. Immunohistochemistry was positive for both terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and cluster of differentiation (CD3) in 9 breast lesions. Imaging included ultrasound (n = 6), mammography (n = 6), magnetic resonance imaging (n = 2), and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (n = 2). Most patients (n = 10) received chemotherapy, with some supplemented by radiotherapy and intrathecal prophylaxis. Breast T-LBL is exceedingly rare. Accurate diagnosis is crucial for management. Future prospective studies are needed to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.