Colon Cancer Metastasis Found Inside a Thyroid Nodule
This colorectal cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Subtype
- Adenocarcinoma
- Biomarkers
- KRAS mutated; thyroid metastasis CDX2 positive and CK20 positive; PAX8/TG/TTF-1 negative
- Sex
- Male
- Spread to
- lungs|thyroid
- Treatment
- surgery and chemotherapy
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing
Treatment course, step by step
- He underwent colectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy after the colorectal-cancer diagnosis.
- When multiple lung metastases appeared 1 year later, he received additional chemotherapy.
- A suspicious thyroid nodule was removed with left lobe and isthmus surgery, revealing colorectal-cancer metastasis within a low-risk thyroid lesion.
What happened, in summary
A 55-year-old man was being evaluated for a 19 mm nodule in the lower left thyroid. Ultrasound and cytology raised concern for papillary thyroid cancer, so he underwent removal of the left thyroid lobe and isthmus. During surgery, the nodule appeared to contain 2 different tissue patterns.
His earlier medical history included seminoma treated in 2002. In 2014, he had been diagnosed with KRAS-mutated colorectal adenocarcinoma and treated with colectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Multiple lung metastases appeared 1 year later, leading to additional chemotherapy. The thyroid nodule was seen during follow-up, but metastasis was not initially suspected.
Final pathology found a low-risk thyroid lesion called noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features. Within it was a separate focus of metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma. The metastatic cells were CDX2 and CK20 positive and negative for thyroid markers, confirming colorectal origin. Follow-up was planned after surgery, and no adjuvant treatment was planned for the low-risk thyroid lesion.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by PMC / PubMed Central. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
Collections this story belongs to
- Metastatic Colorectal Cancer 17 stories
- KRAS Mutation Colorectal Cancer 12 stories
- Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer 403 stories
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer