Intramural cancer recurrence in the rectum after curative surgery for proximal sigmoid colon cancer: a case report

BACKGROUND: Intramural metastasis distant from the primary tumor is rare in colorectal cancer. Here, we present a notably rare and probably the first case of asynchronous intramural recurrence in the rectum after curative surgery for proximal sigmoid colon cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: A 44-year-old man underwent curative sigmoidectomy for proximal sigmoid colon cancer with T3N0M0, Stage IIA tubular adenocarcinomas. After 15 months, the tumor marker level had increased, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) revealed abnormal fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the rectum; colonoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor (SMT)-like lesion in the upper rectum, and biopsy revealed a tubular adenocarcinoma. We performed curative low anterior resection with tumor-specific mesorectal excision (TSME). The SMT-like tumor was located approximately 20 cm from the initial sigmoid colon anastomosis (i.e., at least 20 cm distal to the initial sigmoid colon cancer). The pathological findings revealed cancer cells with the same features as the initial sigmoid colon cancer, only in the intestinal wall but not in the mucosa and extramural tissue. Therefore, the lesion was determined to be an intramural recurrence. After 24 months, lung recurrence, and local recurrence, which might have involved the lymph nodes in the preserved mesorectum after TSME at the bottom of the pelvis was detected on PET-CT. Hence, we started systemic chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: This case report suggests that PET-CT and short-interval repeat colonoscopy may help detect a rare intramural recurrence. A long distal margin may be necessary to achieve local control in the rectal resection for intramural recurrence.