Concomitant metastatic lung tumor and hamartoma

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

• Rectal cancer recurrence can manifest in the lungs, posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
• Distinguishing between primary lung tumors and metastases is critical for appropriate patient management.

Observation:

• A 65-year-old woman with a history of rectal cancer presented with bilateral lung nodules on imaging.
• Chest CT identified a left lower lobe mass and a right upper lobe nodule.
• Transbronchial lung biopsy confirmed the left lung mass as metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma.

Findings:

• Synchronous resection via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was performed for both lung lesions.
• Pathological analysis revealed the left lung mass as metastatic adenocarcinoma and the right lung nodule as a chondromatous hamartoma.
• The patient experienced an uneventful recovery.

Implications:

• This case highlights the importance of accurate pathological diagnosis in patients with a history of malignancy presenting with lung nodules.
• VATS allows for the successful simultaneous resection of metastatic and benign lung lesions.
• Long-term disease-free survival is achievable following pulmonary metastasectomy for rectal cancer.