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CASE REPORT
Triple synchronous primary malignancies: a rare occurrence
  1. Heather Katz1,
  2. Hassaan Jafri2,
  3. Linda Brown3,
  4. Toni Pacioles4
  1. 1 Department of Oncology, Joan C Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, USA
  2. 2 Internal Medicine, Joan C Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, USA
  3. 3 Department of Pathology, Cabell Huntington Hospital, Huntington, West Virginia, USA
  4. 4 Department of Oncology, Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center, Huntington, West Virginia, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Heather Katz, katzh{at}marshall.edu

Summary

Triple synchronous primary malignant neoplasms are rare. The exact aetiology is unknown; however, risk factors include older age, family history, genetic aberrations, prolonged exposure to carcinogens and smoking. We describe a previously healthy 48-year-old woman who presented with abdominal pain and a palpable abdominal mass. Imaging revealed a complex cystic, solid pelvic mass and another mass in the right upper quadrant. She received an extensive abdominal surgery including exploratory laparotomy, pelvic mass resection, total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy, omentectomy and right adrenalectomy. During surgery, a mass in the distal sigmoid colon was noted and subsequent sigmoidectomy was performed. The surgical specimen revealed three different primary tumours with three different histologies, a granulosa cell tumour of the ovary, adrenocortical carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the colon. She received six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer with 5-fluorourocil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin and is currently living with no recurrence.

  • colon cancer
  • urological cancer
  • gynecological cancer

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Footnotes

  • Contributors HK participated in the clinical management of the patient in the case report and the preparation of the manuscript. HJ participated in the preparation of the manuscript. LB participated in determining the pathological diagnosis of the disease, provided the pathological slides including immunohistochemical stains and H&E stains and the editing of the manuscript. TP participated in the management of the patient and the evaluation and editing of the manuscript.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.