Open AccessThyroid mass: Metastasis from nasopharyngeal cancer - an unusual presentation
Author(s) -
Shirley Lewis,
Anil D’Cruz,
Amit Joshi,
Rajiv Kumar,
Shubhada Kane,
Sarbani Ghosh Laskar
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
indian journal of palliative care/indian journal of palliative care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.395
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1998-3735
pISSN - 0973-1075
DOI - 10.4103/0973-1075.197951
Subject(s) - medicine , radiology , metastasis , thyroid , thyroid cancer , radiation therapy , thyroid carcinoma , nodule (geology) , cancer , asymptomatic , chemotherapy , positron emission tomography , pathology , surgery , paleontology , biology
Thyroid gland is an uncommon site of metastasis, and metastasis to the gland secondary to nasopharyngeal carcinoma is seldom seen. We were only able to identify eight reported cases in the literature. A 61-year-old man, diagnosed case of nasopharyngeal cancer-second primary ( first primary-oropharynx), was found to have a thyroid nodule on routine follow-up positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scan. There was no evidence of metastases at any other sites. The thyroid nodule was confirmed as metastatic carcinoma by fine needle aspiration cytology. He was treated with multimodal treatment comprising of surgery followed by reirradiation with concurrent chemotherapy. Subsequently, at the first follow-up (2 months after completion of all treatment), the patient remained asymptomatic, but the response assessment with PET-CT scan was suggestive of lung metastases with no evidence of locoregional disease. Although thyroid parenchymal metastasis is an uncommon occurrence and signifies a poor prognosis, in appropriately selected patients, aggressive therapy with reirradiation and chemotherapy may improve local control and quality of life.