A Resected Case of Pancreatic Metastasis from Lung Cancer

Kazunari Misawa, Yasuhiro Shimizu and Kenzo Yasui

Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital

We report a case of pancreatic metastasis from lung cancer. A 59-year-old woman underwent left lower lobectomy for lung cancer and chemoradiotherapy for brain metastases in 1998, followed by radiotherapy for bone metastasis in 2002. In June 2003, her serum CEA rose, and in October, abdominal CT showed a solid tumor 3.5 cm in diameter in the head of the pancreas. EUS showed a low echoic tumor with irregular borders, EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens suggested lung cancer metastasis in immunohistochemical staining. Because the primary lesion, brain metastases, and bone metastasis were considered cured, we conducted pancreatoduodenectomy in January 2004. The histological diagnosis of the pancreatic tumor was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, compatible with lung cancer metastasis. The patient is alive without recurrence 15 months after surgery. Pancreatic metastasis generally has a poor prognosis, but several cases reported indicate that surgery improved patient prognosis and quality of life. When metastasis is limited to the pancreas with the primary tumor controlled and the patient's general condition good, radical surgery could prove to be the optimal treatment.

Key words
pancreatic metastasis, lung cancer

Reprint requests
Yasuhiro Shimizu Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital
1-1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8681 JAPAN

Accepted
September 28, 2005

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.