[Improved QOL with cancer chemotherapy in two patients with breast cancer suffering form carcinomatous pleurisy and carcinomatous peritonitis].

One of the breast cancer patients introduced here suffered from recurrent carcinomatous pleurisy and the other from recurrent carcinomatous peritonitis. The patient with recurrent carcinomatous pleurisy was a 47-year-old female with stage IIIa breast cancer. She underwent a standard mastectomy and, following surgery, radiotherapy (50 Gy) and CAF therapy (30 mg of ADM, 1,800 mg of futraful and 100 mg of CPA, administered p.o.). Dyspnea occurred 4 years after surgery. Pleural exudate cytodiagnosis proved positive and the patient was diagnosed with carcinomatous peritonitis. Continuous thoracic cavity drainage was carried out, and 30 mg of ADM was injected into the thoracic cavity. CAF therapy was performed. The dyspnea and thoracic effusion disappeared. At present, after one year and 7 months, the patient is receiving outpatient treatment and remains under observation. The patient with recurrent carcinomatous pleurisy was a 43-year-old female. The breast cancer was detected in a diagnosis of metastasis to the axillary lymph nodes. An increased CA15-3 level and ascitic retention were observed postoperatively at 5 months. Following administration of 600 mg of UFT and 1,200 mg of MPA, the ascites decreased and improvement of the thickened peritoneum was noted. The CA15-3 level was also lowered. It is anticipated that chemotherapy for carcinomatous pleurisy and carcinomatous peritonitis will contribute to an improvement in patients' QOL.