Doctors at the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology - Bach Mai Hospital have just successfully treated a special case when a patient had two primary cancers simultaneously, right colon cancer and liver gallbladder cancer. This is a rare case, requiring accurate diagnosis and close multi-specialized treatment coordination.
The female patient, 59 years old, was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of jaundice, itching and prolonged pain in the right hypochondrium. Through initial examination, diagnostic imaging results showed damage to the bile ducts in the liver, accompanied by stones and dilated bile ducts.
However, during a comprehensive examination, doctors continued to discover another tumor in the colon through digestive endoscopy. The biopsy results determined that this was a glandular carcinoma.
After consultation, experts determined that the patient had two primary cancers at the same time, instead of metastatic cancer as is common, which are right colon cancer at an early stage, not yet metastasized to the lymph nodes, and biliary cancer in the liver at an advanced stage that has invaded and metastasized to the lymph nodes.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Cam Phuong, Director of the Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, Bach Mai Hospital, said that distinguishing between primary cancer and metastatic cancer is decisive in choosing a suitable treatment plan. Based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient's physical condition and the extent of damage, the treatment team has chosen the method of radical surgery in the same surgery.
The performed techniques included right colon excision, D3 lymph node dissection combined with left liver and extrahepatic biliary tract excision. The surgery took place smoothly, and the lesions were completely removed. After surgery, the patient recovered well, and liver and bile function gradually stabilized.
The results of the post-operative pathology showed that the colon tumor had been completely removed, requiring no additional treatment. Meanwhile, biliary cancer has nerve invasion and lymph node metastasis, and the patient was indicated for chemotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence.
According to experts, the simultaneous detection of two primary cancers in the digestive system is very rare. This case shows the importance of comprehensive examination and accurate diagnosis.
Notably, bile duct cancer in the liver often has a poor prognosis due to late detection. However, in this case, thanks to the early onset of symptoms of bile blockage, the disease was detected at a stage where there was still a possibility of radical surgical intervention.
Doctors recommend that people should proactively monitor their health, especially when abnormal signs appear such as prolonged abdominal pain, jaundice, and digestive disorders.
Periodic gastrointestinal endoscopy and early cancer screening play an important role in detecting diseases at an early stage and improving treatment effectiveness.
