Colonic Metastasis of Renal Cell Carcinoma Following Curative Nephrectomy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Introduction: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare tumor that comprises only 3% of adult cancers, while renal parenchymal tumors constitute 85% of all RCC cases. RCC frequently metastasizes to the lungs, bones, brain or liver; however, the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the colon, is an unusual location for metastasis.

Case Report: A 63-year-old male patient was admitted complaining of hematochezia. The patient had undergone left-side nephrectomy for RCC, 5 years previously. Computed tomography and colonoscopy detected a splenic flexure tumor and after left hemicolectomy and splenectomy, histopathological examination revealed a colonic metastasis of the renal cell carcinoma.

Discussion: Cases of colonic metastasis following resection of a RCC are uncommon in the literature and their location can be very varied, but include the sigmoid colon, splenic flexure, transvers colon and hepatic flexure. Recurrence of RCC is frequently seen during the first three postoperative years, and surgical resection is suggested for solitary non-metastatic tumor.

Conclusion: RCC rarely metastases to the colon but may occur years after curative resection. Therefore, RCC patients should be closely followed for the long term. In case of isolated metastasis, long-term survival can be achieved with R0 resection.