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Updated: Jan 2, 2026
Spontaneous Murine Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Published on: February 3, 2023
Rectal cancer with a metastasis to the thyroid gland: A case report
Katsusuke Mori1, Koji Koinuma1, Hiroshi Nishino2
1Department of Surgery, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.
Introduction:
Metastases to the thyroid gland in patients with colorectal cancer are uncommon. We report a patient with rectal cancer who developed a metastasis to the thyroid gland.
Presentation Of Case:
The patient was a 45-year-old female five years status post rectal cancer resection. A thyroid lesion was detected on PET-CT scan with synchronous lung metastases. After pulmonary resection, a partial thyroidectomy was performed and pathological examination with immunohistochemical staining confirmed that the lesion was a metastasis from previous rectal cancer. She is free from recurrence two years after thyroid surgery.
Discussion:
Colorectal metastases to the thyroid gland are usually seen with widespread disease, often with lung and liver metastases. The overall outcomes of previously reported patients with thyroid metastases were extremely poor, with most patients dying within months of diagnosis. Careful attention should be given to other sites of metastatic disease including the thyroid gland during postoperative follow-up. PET scan may be helpful to establish the diagnosis.
Conclusion:
Treatment decisions must be individualized, and depend on the presence of systemic disease. Selected patients may benefit from resection of metastases, and PET scan may be useful to identify patients who will benefit from resection.
