Unusual axillary metastasis of recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer: A case report
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Published on: January 5, 2017
Deng-Yu Kuo1, Min-Hsiang Chang, Shan-Ying Wang
1Division of Radiation Oncology Department of Anatomical Pathology Division of Nuclear Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei Division of Medical Oncology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei Department of Radiation Oncology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Rationale:
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a high propensity of metastasis. The most commonly described sites of distant metastasis are the bones, lungs, and liver, whereas axillary metastasis is seldom reported.
Patient Concerns:
We hereby present the case of a 66-year-old man with NPC, cT2N2M0, at diagnosis. He had completed chemoradiotherapy and been disease-free for 7 years.
Diagnoses:
After that period, late recurrence in the form of a solitary axillary lymph node metastasis was detected and confirmed by core-needle biopsy.
Interventions:
The lesion was chemoresistant but responded to salvage radiotherapy at a dose of 65 Gy in 21 fractions.
Outcomes:
Post-radiotherapy positron emission tomography scan showed no evidence of disease.
Lessons:
We suggested that long-term follow-up of NPC patients is important because a late relapse may occur at an unusual site. Aggressive management of solitary metastasis may achieve good outcome.
