Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast: a case report and review of the literature

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast is a rare tumor. The prognosis is poor, and hence there is a clinical trend to offer multi-modal treatment options of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. There is no consensus on treatment options due to the paucity of available data. We are reporting the case of a 68-year-old lady who presented with a right breast mass. Upon core biopsy and further workup, she was noted to have primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast. She was successfully treated with surgical therapy alone without disease recurrence at 36 months. Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the breast can be treated successfully with surgical therapy alone. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and anti-estrogen therapy should be questioned as these modalities can lead to significant treatment-related morbidities and might not be contributing to disease-free interval or overall survival from this unusual tumor subtype.