Synchronous lung cancer presenting with small cell carcinoma and squamous cell lung carcinoma: a case report

Synchronous multiple primary lung cancers (SMPLC) are separate tumors presenting at the same time with different histology. We present a rare case of a 64-year-old patient with a combination of small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and squamous carcinoma in two different sites with metastasis of the SCLC in the mediastinal lymph node. The SCLC diagnosis was performed via bronchoscopy, and the other diagnosis via computed tomography-guided transthoracic biopsy. It is often difficult to distinguish a synchronous tumor from intrapulmonary metastases. To date, there are no guidelines for the treatment of these cases. The management of SMPLC, mainly surgical with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, must be studied according to the histological type, staging, and molecular testing of the tumors. These rare cases of SMPLC require individual treatment and a multidisciplinary approach.