A case of multiple lung metastases diagnosed 18 years after surgery for cervical adenocarcinoma

Abstract

A 76-year-old woman underwent radical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectoy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for cervical adenocarcinoma at the age of 58 at her previous hospital. She showed no recurrence during a regular follow-up after surgery at the hospital for 6.5 years. Twelve years later, she exhibited abnormal findings on a chest radiograph during an annual health checkup and was referred to our hospital. Closer examination revealed multiple pulmonary nodules suspected of being malignant, so we performed thoracoscopic biopsy. Histopathological examination initially led to a diagnosis of the tumor as lung adenocarcinoma. However, after immunostaining results: negative for TTF-1; negative for ER and PgR; and partially positive for p16, and comparison with previous pathological specimens, it was finally diagnosed as cervical adenocarcinoma. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of our hospital. It is extremely rare for cervical cancer to recur with pulmonary metastasis more than 10 years after surgery.