Primary peritoneal carcinoma metastasizing to breast: a single case report and literature review from clinic to biology

Primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC) is a type of rare malignant epithelial tumor. Metastasis from PPC to breast has been rarely reported. PPC originates de novo from the peritoneal tissues rather than invasion or metastasis from adjacent or remote organs. PPCs have been implicated in many cases of carcinomas of unknown primary origin. It is similar to ovarian cancer (OvCa), because it shares the same common embryonic origin, the coelomic epithelium (mesodermal origin). The mechanism of oncogenesis remains elusive. In this article, we report a rare case of PPC in a patient 10 years after total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy for uterine leiomyoma, which was widely spread in the abdomen and metastasized to the colon, liver and distant organs including breast. The treatment is similar to that of primary ovarian cancer. We also reviewed the primary peritoneal cancer metastatic to breast and discuss the possible mechanisms and biology of primary peritoneal cancer, using experimental and animal model.