Metastasis from Cervical Cancer Presenting as a Pancreatic Head Mass — an Unexpected Diagnosis!
Cervical cancer is the most common malignancy in Indian women. After primary treatment, distant recurrence is rare and occurs at liver, lung or bone. Distant metastases to other abdominal sites are very rare. We present a case of pancreatic metastasis from cervical cancer, which has not been reported in literature. A 53-year-old woman presented with 3-month history of dull upper abdominal pain with anorexia and weight loss. Past medical history revealed a stage 3c squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cervix treated by chemo-radiotherapy 2 years back. Contrast CT abdomen showed a pancreatic head mass encasing portal vein. CA-19.9 was 30.8 U/ml. 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose(FDG) PET/CT whole body scan showed avid pancreatic head mass and right lung nodule with no uptake in utero-cervix, adnexae or pelvic nodes. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided needle aspiration from the mass showed metastatic SCC, confirming pancreatic metastasis from SCC cervix with no active disease at the cervix. Being aware of recurrence at such atypical locations during post-treatment follow-up, helps in accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
