Synchronous operable pancreatic and breast cancer without genetic mutation: a literature review and discussion

Background: Synchronous cancers are rarely detected when working-up a patient for a primary cancer. Neoadjuvant management of synchronous breast and pancreatic cancers, without a germline mutation, has yet to be discussed. Two patients were diagnosed with synchronous breast and pancreatic cancers at our institution over the last decade. A literature review was performed to evaluate the current evidence stance. Results: The first patient was 61-years old and diagnosed with a HER2+ breast cancer. The second patient was 77-years old and diagnosed with a Luminal B breast cancer. The inability to provide concurrent breast and pancreatic neoadjuvant therapy for the HER2+ patient, resulted in upfront surgery. The second patient was able to have both cancers treated simultaneously - neoadjuvant chemotherapy to the pancreas, and neoadjuvant endocrine therapy to the breast. Discuss: There is no single neoadjuvant regimen that treats both pancreatic and breast cancer. The differences in breast cancer sub-types impacted our neoadjuvant options. Our recent experience led us to the hypothesis that breast cancer care dictates treatment, while pancreatic cancer determines survival. There is a significant paucity in the literature regarding synchronous breast and pancreatic cancer.