Unusual Metastasis from Carcinoma Cervix

Although the incidence of cancer cervix has reduced in India during the last two decades, still most of the patients presenting in tertiary care centers are in advanced stages.

At this center, we see 6% of cancer cervix cases every year, and most of these cases are in stage III and IVa. All these patients have squamous cell carcinoma and were treated with a combination of external and intracavitary radiotherapy along with concurrent cisplatin given once weekly. Eighty-nine point nine % patients had achieved a complete response.

Local recurrence was seen in 17.9% at a median duration of 10.5 months, and 8.17% developed distant metastasis involving lung, liver, bone, and supraclavicular lymph nodes. Three patients developed metastasis at unusual sites involving breast, paraspinal muscles, and duodenum which are very rarely involved. These patients were treated with chemotherapy using carboplatin and Paclitaxel combination but succumbed within 8-10 months of development of metastasis.

The cause of involvement of these unusual sites is not clear, but it may be hematological spread, and we want to share these reports such that these sites are seen during follow-up of patients of cancer cervix.