Metachronous lung cancer--case presentation

Multiple primary tumors can be synchronous when detected simultaneously or metachronous when detected after a variable time interval. We present the case of a 62-year-old female patient with a history of keratinized squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, stage T3bNxM, operated, and treated by chemotherapy and radiation therapy which develops after three years a large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung detected by imaging. Of major importance in the selection of the optimal therapeutic approach was the accurate determination of the histological type of the metachronous tumor by microscopy and immunohistochemical techniques. The discrete respiratory symptoms and the absence of lung imaging screening accounted for tumor development to an inoperable stage, thus emphasizing the importance of close monitoring of the oncologic patient, thus greatly increasing their chances of survival.