Late distant recurrence of endometrial cancer in the lung after 5 years of radical surgery: a case report

Most endometrial cancer recurrences are seen within 3 years of radical treatment and are associated with various prognostic factors (tumor size, stage, grading, histotype…). Late relapses are considered rare. In this report, we present a case of a patient who was treated for endometrial adenocarcinoma. She underwent total resection and received four cycles of first-line adjuvant chemoradiation therapy using a combination of platinum salts and taxane. A total of 58 months later, the patient presented with chronic cough, and hemoptysis. A computed tomography scan revealed the presence of lung nodules suggestive of metastases. Biopsies were performed, showed infiltration of the bronchial mucosa by a poorly differentiated carcinoma of an endometrial origin. Our patient received two cycles of palliative chemotherapy but was lost to follow-up and eventually died. Imaging after hemoptysis revealed disease progression. Endometrial carcinoma patients treated with radical surgery (R0) can relapse after years of free disease. Thus, recommended: closer follow-up, clinical examination, symptom-based imaging.