Gastrointestinal metastasis of lung cancer with special emphasis on a long-term survivor after operation.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to report the clinical characteristics and outcomes of gastrointestinal metastasis from lung cancer, with special emphasis on a long-term survivor after surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients diagnosed with lung cancer between 2000 and 2007 at a tertiary referral center for cancer.

Results: Gastrointestinal metastases were detected in 10 (0.19%) of 5,239 lung cancer patients. Small bowel metastases occurred in one-half of the patients, making it the most common metastatic site. One patient underwent emergency surgery because of an intestinal perforation. Although a perforation developed only in this patient, surgical intervention was required for five other patients to relieve intestinal obstruction or control bleeding. The prognosis was poor, with a median survival of 96.5 days after diagnosis. However, one patient remains alive >5 years post-operatively, without a recurrence, suggesting that surgical resection is an option for cure in properly selected patients.

Conclusions: Physicians should be familiar with unique features of lung cancer with metastasis to the gastrointestinal tract so as to render early and optimal management.