Placental and Breast Metastasis of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a Patient With Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), which is usually benign, is an intractable disease characterized by recurrent papillomas (wart-like lesions). Although it most commonly involves the mucosal epithelial lining of the upper respiratory tract, on rare occasions, it can also involve lung parenchyma. RRP carries the risk of malignant transformation, most often to non-small-cell squamous lung cancer. Here, we present the case of a 32-year-old pregnant female with a past medical history of RRP who developed mild respiratory distress during her immediate postpartum period. This prompted imaging of the chest which revealed right lower lobe hypodensities with extensive hilar and perihilar lymphadenopathy. Histopathology of the bronchial specimen showed squamous cell carcinoma with 100% programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Gross examination of the patient’s placenta showed multiple tan-colored nodules which was confirmed on histopathological examination as multifocal regions of squamous cell carcinoma metastatic from the lung. The patient underwent a staging positron emission tomography (PET) scan which showed hypermetabolic regions in the right middle and lower lobes of the lung, with avidity in the right paratracheal region and an enhancing lesion in the left breast. Biopsy from the breast lesion was also positive for squamous cell carcinoma and PD-L1. She was diagnosed with Stage IVB (T1c, N3, M1c) non-small-cell squamous lung cancer and was started on pembrolizumab. Carboplatin and paclitaxel were added after an initial mixed response to therapy. The patient was non-compliant with her updated treatment regimen as well as with outpatient follow-up visits. A restaging PET scan demonstrated an inadequate response to the amended immunotherapy/chemotherapy regimen. Ultimately, she passed away within one and a half years of her initial diagnosis. Malignant transformation of papillomatous lesions into squamous cell cancer is infrequent, and the occurrence of metastasis to the breast and/or placenta is exceptionally rare. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of placental and breast metastasis of squamous cell lung cancer in a patient with RRP.