Published on 05/25/2022 at 6:57 p.m.,
Reading 2 mins.
Due to her young age, the girl’s cancer was only diagnosed after four months. A terrible “medical wandering” according to his parents, who wish to file a complaint. Dr. Anne Sabaila Ollier, surgeon and breast cancer specialist, tells us more about this extremely rare lesion.
It was in March 2021 that Shiloh began complaining of “breast pain”. The professionals answer him that breast cancer does not exist at this age or remains anecdotal. A few months later, in December 2021, Shiloh died, however, of a mammary angiosarcoma which nibbled at her left breast.
Chemotherapy too late
In March 2021, Shiloh was surprised by small pimples and orange peel skin that appeared on her sore left breast. His parents, worried, meet several specialists, without the cause of these symptoms being discovered. They even call for a mammogram, but the experts reply that this type of examination is not recommended for such young women.
After 4 months, a doctor from the Levallois Perret International Dermatology Center – seeing the girl’s purple and deformed breast – decided to refer her to gynecological emergencies.
The diagnosis is made: it is a grade II mammary angiosarcoma. Despite undergoing chemotherapy at the Institut Curie, Shiloh died – 9 months after the appearance of the first symptoms.
“An extremely rare phenomenon”
If the cancer had been caught in time, “there was the possibility that she would get away with it”confide the parents of Shiloh to the Parisian. Revolted, they describe a “terrible medical error” during these long months and now wish to file a complaint against the various health establishments and doctors.
“This phenomenon remains extremely rare. It represents less than 1% of cases. Most of the time, pain in the breast in children is associated with benign lesions, such as a fibroid”says Dr Anne Sabaila Ollier, who also recalls that “this extremely aggressive tumor is not breast cancer because it sometimes spreads to other parts of the body”.
Nevertheless, any localized and sudden pain should lead to consultation. “If the symptoms have not disappeared, doing or redoing an ultrasound is strongly recommended.says the surgeon.
The signs that should alert you? “The deformation of the breast, the sudden increase in the volume of the breast, the appearance of an orange peel skin, the appearance of small dimples, the modification of the nipple, a mass in the armpit, a bloody discharge… “says the expert.
And as the NGO “Know your Lemons” reminds us in image (©Know Your Lemons):
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Angiosarcoma: what is it?
Angiosarcoma is an extremely aggressive cancer, arising from the tissues lining the inside of blood vessels. It affects both men and women – of all ages – and can occur in any part of the body. About 25% of cases occur in deep tissue and 8% in the breast. In the majority of cases, the cause of angiosarcoma is not known.
Symptoms can manifest in several ways:
- a skin ulcer that does not heal;
- a bruise (a bruise);
- a stain on the skin (especially on the breast);
- cellulitis (skin infection);
- a mass or pain;
Note: angiosarcoma can sometimes metastasize to the lung and liver, that is to say when the cancer leaves the site of origin to affect other organs.