Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of colon from esophageal cancer: a case report and literature review

Background: Esophageal cancer occupies the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Colorectal metastases are less likely to occur in squamous esophageal cancer. We report a case of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of colon from esophageal cancer. Case presentation: A 66-year-old Chinese female with diabetes presented with left neck mass for 1 month. CT scan demonstrated uneven thickening wall of the mid-thoracic esophagus. A lymph node aspiration biopsy of the neck showed metastases in the lymph nodes of the left cervical region 4, which were supported by immunohistochemistry as squamous cell carcinoma. Stage ⅣA (T4N2M0) middle thoracic esophageal carcinoma was diagnosed. The patient had been treated with neoadjuvant concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy for 1 cycle. Then she had undergone thoracoscopic radical esophageal cancer surgery in September 2020. Pathology from esophagus and nodes showed no residual tumor and pathological stage was ypT0N0M0. In August 2021, the patient developed hematochezia, and the colonoscopy showed a nodular neoplasm with a brittle texture. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the colon neoplasm showed squamous cell carcinoma with poorly differentiation. She subsequently received chemotherapy with oxaliplatin and irinotecan for 1 cycle. Two months later, the patient underwent a palliative resection operation and the patient died 3 months after the operation. Conclusion: We report the first case of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of colon from esophageal cancer with ypT0N0M0 underwent surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. This case raises clinical awareness regarding colorectal metastases from esophageal cancer with pT0N0M0 underwent surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.