When immunotherapy mimics pancreatic cancer: mass-forming immune-related pancreatitis during neoadjuvant treatment for triple-negative breast cancer.
Margaux Mouchet, Jolanta Gourmaud, Mohammed Ehab Kamel et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A woman with early triple-negative breast cancer developed four hypermetabolic pancreatic lesions after 4 months of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy, initially suggestive of metastases. However, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy confirmed immune-related pancreatitis without malignant cells. Following the discontinuation of immunotherapy and initiation of corticosteroids, her pancreatic enzyme levels normalized, and she subsequently underwent a total mastectomy for local progression.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Clinicians should be aware that immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced pancreatitis can present as mass-forming lesions, mimicking metastatic disease, necessitating tissue biopsy for accurate diagnosis.