Rare metastasis of the urinary bladder from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report

BackgroundSquamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is rare, comprising less than 5% of all bladder cancers. There have been no previous reports of bladder SCC occurring as a metachronous metastatic tumor following curative resection for esophageal squamous carcinoma. This case report aim...

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Main Authors: Chunlei Zhang, Dehui Chang, Dongxing Wang, Jiale Zuo, Zhigang Cao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Oncology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1515781/full
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author Chunlei Zhang
Dehui Chang
Dongxing Wang
Jiale Zuo
Zhigang Cao
author_facet Chunlei Zhang
Dehui Chang
Dongxing Wang
Jiale Zuo
Zhigang Cao
author_sort Chunlei Zhang
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundSquamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is rare, comprising less than 5% of all bladder cancers. There have been no previous reports of bladder SCC occurring as a metachronous metastatic tumor following curative resection for esophageal squamous carcinoma. This case report aims to address the challenges in treatment strategy posed by such occurrences by presenting a case of esophageal SCC with subsequent bladder metastasis.Case descriptionThe patient is a 57-year-old Asian male with a 40-year history of heavy smoking. In July 2020, he was diagnosed with esophageal SCC, staged as cT2N1M0, and underwent radical surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Post-surgery, he remained asymptomatic with regular check-ups showing no recurrence until November 2021, when he presented with hematuria. An MRU indicated a solid lesion in the bladder, and biopsy confirmed poorly differentiated SCC. A partial cystectomy was performed, followed by chemotherapy. Despite stable initial follow-ups, elevated CEA and SCC-Ag levels later suggested recurrence, confirmed by PET-CT and pathological examination showing lymph node metastases around the esophagus and in the neck. Subsequently, chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy was recommended.ConclusionFor solitary metachronous metastatic SCC of the bladder following esophageal SCC, surgical resection combined with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy can be a viable treatment option. Partial cystectomy may be feasible for patients without lymphatic spread and who wish to preserve bladder function. Tumor markers CEA and SCC-Ag have proven effective in monitoring postoperative metastasis and can serve as reliable indicators for tumor follow-up.
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spelling doaj-art-7b25482f20fd4cf483023dd4c2445b912025-08-20T02:07:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2025-06-011510.3389/fonc.2025.15157811515781Rare metastasis of the urinary bladder from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case reportChunlei Zhang0Dehui Chang1Dongxing Wang2Jiale Zuo3Zhigang Cao4Department of Urology, The 940 Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People’s Liberation Amy (PLA), Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaDepartment of Urology, The 940 Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People’s Liberation Amy (PLA), Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaDepartment of Urology, The 940 Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People’s Liberation Amy (PLA), Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaDepartment of Urology, The 940 Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of Chinese People’s Liberation Amy (PLA), Lanzhou, Gansu, ChinaBackgroundSquamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is rare, comprising less than 5% of all bladder cancers. There have been no previous reports of bladder SCC occurring as a metachronous metastatic tumor following curative resection for esophageal squamous carcinoma. This case report aims to address the challenges in treatment strategy posed by such occurrences by presenting a case of esophageal SCC with subsequent bladder metastasis.Case descriptionThe patient is a 57-year-old Asian male with a 40-year history of heavy smoking. In July 2020, he was diagnosed with esophageal SCC, staged as cT2N1M0, and underwent radical surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Post-surgery, he remained asymptomatic with regular check-ups showing no recurrence until November 2021, when he presented with hematuria. An MRU indicated a solid lesion in the bladder, and biopsy confirmed poorly differentiated SCC. A partial cystectomy was performed, followed by chemotherapy. Despite stable initial follow-ups, elevated CEA and SCC-Ag levels later suggested recurrence, confirmed by PET-CT and pathological examination showing lymph node metastases around the esophagus and in the neck. Subsequently, chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy was recommended.ConclusionFor solitary metachronous metastatic SCC of the bladder following esophageal SCC, surgical resection combined with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy can be a viable treatment option. Partial cystectomy may be feasible for patients without lymphatic spread and who wish to preserve bladder function. Tumor markers CEA and SCC-Ag have proven effective in monitoring postoperative metastasis and can serve as reliable indicators for tumor follow-up.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1515781/fullsquamous cell carcinomaesophagectomyurinary bladderbladder preservationtumor markers
spellingShingle Chunlei Zhang
Dehui Chang
Dongxing Wang
Jiale Zuo
Zhigang Cao
Rare metastasis of the urinary bladder from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report
Frontiers in Oncology
squamous cell carcinoma
esophagectomy
urinary bladder
bladder preservation
tumor markers
title Rare metastasis of the urinary bladder from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report
title_full Rare metastasis of the urinary bladder from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report
title_fullStr Rare metastasis of the urinary bladder from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report
title_full_unstemmed Rare metastasis of the urinary bladder from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report
title_short Rare metastasis of the urinary bladder from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report
title_sort rare metastasis of the urinary bladder from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma a case report
topic squamous cell carcinoma
esophagectomy
urinary bladder
bladder preservation
tumor markers
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1515781/full
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