Isolated Splenic Metastasis from Rectal Carcinoma: A Rare Occurrence

The presence of isolated splenic metastasis in rectal carcinoma is uncommon and usually presents as an asymptomatic mass, noted incidentally on imaging. Splenectomy is usually performed with the goal of curing metastatic disease. It is unclear if adjuvant chemotherapy affords any benefit, and the pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sarika Jain, Sumeet Munjal, Rhonda K. Yantiss, Toyooki Sonoda, Thomas J. Fahey, Joseph T. Ruggiero, Alok Anand, Adam Gersten, Stanley J. Goldsmith, Allyson J. Ocean
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Karger Publishers 2011-10-01
Series:Case Reports in Oncology
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Online Access:http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/333446
Description
Summary:The presence of isolated splenic metastasis in rectal carcinoma is uncommon and usually presents as an asymptomatic mass, noted incidentally on imaging. Splenectomy is usually performed with the goal of curing metastatic disease. It is unclear if adjuvant chemotherapy affords any benefit, and the prognosis is unknown. The case of a young woman is reported, in whom an isolated metastatic lesion in the spleen was discovered 9 months after adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III rectal adenocarcinoma. The patient has remained disease-free for nearly 5 years following splenectomy and chemotherapy. To our knowledge, this is the fourth reported case in the English literature of an isolated splenic metastatic lesion from rectal cancer. We discuss the unique presentation, the importance of post-treatment surveillance, and the implementation of multi-modality treatment strategies in this young patient.
ISSN:1662-6575