Incidental advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed at the time of radical prostatectomy for prostatic cancer: a case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND: Pelvic lymph nodes removed during radical retropubic prostatectomy for prostatic cancer can be found on pathological examination to harbor various unexpected pathologies. Among these, hematologic neoplasms are not infrequent. Given their frequently indolent clinical course, such neoplasms would likely have remained undiagnosed and non-life threatening. Despite this, the case we are reporting describes a rare association between two aggressive neoplasms, and it will be helpful to clinicians who encounter similar combinations of pathologies. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the challenging case of a 56-year-old, caucasian man in whom pathological assessment of pelvic lymph nodes removed during radical retropubic prostatectomy for a high-grade prostatic neoplasm revealed Hodgkin lymphoma, which was subsequently classified as stage IV. There are very few published reports of this combination of pathologies. This situation required a cautious and expert approach to delivering the most appropriate treatment with the most appropriate timing for both diseases. CONCLUSION: This report describes the multidisciplinary clinical approach we followed at our institution. We have also presented a review of published reports concerning the incidence, histologic type, and management of such concurrent malignancies.