[A case of metachronous double primary adenocarcinoma in both lungs]

A 78-year-old man underwent a right lower lobectomy for adenocarcinoma in January 2004. The follow-up CT scanning showed a nodule in the left upper lobe in March 2006, and we suspected pneumonia. After clarithromycin (CAM) was administered for three months, CT scanning demonstrated in July 2008 that the nodule was enlarged more than the CT scanning of 2006. We had performed bronchoscopy on April 2009, and obtained a specimen for the nodule. We diagnosed adenocarcinoma from the specimen. We planned adjuvant surgery of left S4S5 partial resection after chemotherapy of carboplatin 450 mg/body (day 1)+paclitaxel 80 mg/body (day 1, 8, 15). We demonstrated the standard thoracotomy and S4S5 partial resection in June of 2009. We experienced two adenocarcinomas as metachronous double primary lung cancer. For both lung cancers one must consider the range of the surgical resection and the respiratory function of the residual lungs. If we find an abnormal shadow in the lung of postoperative lung cancer, it is necessary to consider the possibility of metachronous lung cancer.