Rectal metastasis from a previously resected carcinoma of the pancreas: a case report

Pancreatic cancer is associated with a very poor prognosis highlighted by the close association between the disease incidence and mortality. Pancreatic cancer commonly metastasizes to the liver, peripancreas, common bile duct, stomach, duodenum, and retroperitoneum. Conversely, rectal metastasis from pancreatic cancer is extremely rare. We report a rare case of a 75-year-old man with rectal metastasis from a primary pancreatic carcinoma resected 2 years prior. The patient underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but the patient died of increased tumor load. Our understanding of pancreatic cancer has advanced dramatically in the past decade. Distant metastasis should be taken into account when a patient has a medical history of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, even when a rare metastasis site is involved. Histopathological characteristics and immunohistochemical tests are helpful for diagnosis.