Wang Xubin, Weng Zhiyun
The Affiliated Yueqing Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Yueqing, Zhejiang, China.
Front Oncol. 2025 Jun 19;15:1599148. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1599148. eCollection 2025.
Meningeal carcinomatosis (MC) is a distinct form of brain metastasis (BM) that occurs in patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The occurrence of BM typically indicates a poor prognosis. Spatial heterogeneity in HER2 expression is relatively common in breast cancer cases; however, the emergence of both temporal and spatial heterogeneity within the brain parenchyma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is exceedingly rare. Thus, the phenomenon warrants further investigation. Herein, we report a case of advanced TNBC with BM and MC. HER2 was expressed in the CSF and exhibited spatial and temporal heterogeneity. The CSF was analyzed using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, confirming the presence of HER2-positive tumor cells in the patient's CSF. MC was effectively controlled after treatment with trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd). Relevant literature was reviewed to analyze the reasons for this phenomenon. In this case, the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the HER2 receptors observed in the CSF suggests that BM may be driven by the synergistic interaction of multiple subclonal tumor cells.
脑膜癌病(MC)是晚期三阴性乳腺癌(TNBC)患者中发生的一种独特的脑转移(BM)形式。脑转移的发生通常预示着预后不良。HER2表达的空间异质性在乳腺癌病例中相对常见;然而,脑实质和脑脊液(CSF)中同时出现时间和空间异质性极为罕见。因此,这一现象值得进一步研究。在此,我们报告一例伴有脑转移和脑膜癌病的晚期三阴性乳腺癌病例。HER2在脑脊液中表达,并表现出空间和时间异质性。采用免疫组织化学和流式细胞术对脑脊液进行分析,证实患者脑脊液中存在HER2阳性肿瘤细胞。使用曲妥珠单抗德曲妥珠单抗(T-DXd)治疗后,脑膜癌病得到有效控制。查阅相关文献以分析这一现象的原因。在该病例中,脑脊液中观察到的HER2受体的空间和时间异质性表明,脑转移可能是由多个亚克隆肿瘤细胞的协同相互作用驱动的。