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Skeletal muscle metastasis from esophageal cancer: a report of two cases and a review of the literature

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Abstract

Skeletal muscle metastases from carcinoma are very rare. This report describes two cases of skeletal muscle metastasis from esophageal cancer as the first distant metastasis. Case 1, a 58-year-old man with stage IVa upper thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC), underwent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and a subtotal esophagectomy with a three-field lymph node dissection. After the operation, he complained of a painful mass in his forearm, which was diagnosed to be metastatic SqCC by a biopsy. Local radiation therapy and systemic chemotherapy were performed, but he died 7 months after the first CRT. Case 2, a 61-year-old woman with stage IVa middle thoracic SqCC, underwent CRT. 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) after the CRT showed a hot spot in the right gluteus maximus muscle, and it was diagnosed to be metastatic SqCC by a biopsy. Although additional treatment was performed, she died 6 months after the first visit. A short review of the literature concerning skeletal muscle metastasis from esophageal cancer was conducted.

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Correspondence to Makoto Iwahashi.

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Hayata, K., Iwahashi, M., Nakamori, M. et al. Skeletal muscle metastasis from esophageal cancer: a report of two cases and a review of the literature. Esophagus 6, 117–121 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10388-008-0180-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10388-008-0180-x

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