Solitary pancreatic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma

A case of asynchronous bilateral renal cell carcinoma with pancreatic metastasis is described. Left nephrectomy and tumorectomy in the right kidney were performed. Solitary metastasis to the pancreas without symptoms was treated by distal pancreatectomy with tumor and splenectomy. Although bilateral renal cell carcinomas were histologically renal cell carcinoma (clear cell subtype, grade 2), the resected pancreatic tumor was renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid change. Therefore, the metastatic tumor had a more malignant potential than the primary tumor. The pancreatic metastasis was seen at 6 years 10 months and 2 years 6 months after left nephrectomy and enucleation of the right renal tumors, respectively. The patient is alive without disease and is being treated by alpha-interferon for 12 months after distal pancreatectomy. A careful long-term follow-up of the patient with renal cell carcinoma seems to be necessary.