An 80-year-old woman reported the presence of a lump in her left breast for sixteen years which she had been reluctant to consult for fear of the diagnosis and possible treatments. Although she reported that at first the growth had been slow and indolent, in the last two years it had progressed to the point of self-amputation of the breast. She had finally come to the clinic encouraged by her relatives after presenting with progressive back pain and dyspnoea, more evident in the previous weeks. At that time she had ipsilateral axillary and supraclavicular lymphadenopathies. Chest X-ray showed signs of pleural effusion and probable carcinomatous lymphangitis. Bone scintigraphy showed multiple uptakes. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by puncture of a nodule protruding above the breast bed; cytology was compatible with infiltrating ductal carcinoma. The patient started treatment with tamoxifen. Two days later she suddenly presented with a significant worsening of her back pain, which necessitated an increase in analgesia. Over the next two weeks, the patient herself gradually withdrew the analgesics until they were discontinued. After a transient elevation, both CA153 and alkaline phosphatase decreased to normal levels. After six months, the lymphadenopathies had completely resolved, although a small remnant remained in the breast bed; the scintigraphy showed some attenuation of the hypercaptured areas and there was a clear improvement in the pulmonary involvement. The patient remained responsive for 22 months. After progression she received several lines of hormonal treatment. She died 56 months after diagnosis.