Abstract
We report 2 cases of AFP-producing colon cancer that we encountered. Case 1 involved a 40-year-old male who was seen by the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of our hospital because of chest discomfort. A screening blood test revealed anemia and stool test was positive for occult blood. Serum AFP level was high at 168 ng/ml, and further investigation led to a diagnosis of ascending colon cancer, for which right hemicolectomy was performed. Case 2 involved a 51-year-old female who was seen at this hospital because of abdominal discomfort and a palpable lower abdominal mass. Serum AFP level was high at 3,920 ng/ml. Further investigation led to a diagnosis of sigmoid colon cancer with multiple liver and lung metastases, for which left hemicolectomy was performed. Histopathology led to a diagnosis of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in case 1 and moderately-differentiated adenocarcinoma in case 2 and in both cases, AFP immunostaining was positive. Both patients underwent systemic chemotherapy postoperatively, the patient in case 1 is 8 years and 7 months postoperatively, and currently surviving without recurrence, and the patient in case 2 experienced exacerbation of multiple liver metastases and passed away due to liver failure 4 months postoperatively.
