Synchronous Double Primary Malignancy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Introduction: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer and has a propensity to metastasize to the brain. It is incredibly difficult to distinguish between a primary brain lesions and a solitary metastasis from distant occult disease using current imag...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joseph Carmicheal, Kurtis C. Johnson, Beth K. Neilsen, Nicole Shonka, Chi Zhang, Michael Baine
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Karger Publishers 2025-02-01
Series:Case Reports in Oncology
Online Access:https://karger.com/article/doi/10.1159/000543770
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849321651739557888
author Joseph Carmicheal
Kurtis C. Johnson
Beth K. Neilsen
Nicole Shonka
Chi Zhang
Michael Baine
author_facet Joseph Carmicheal
Kurtis C. Johnson
Beth K. Neilsen
Nicole Shonka
Chi Zhang
Michael Baine
author_sort Joseph Carmicheal
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer and has a propensity to metastasize to the brain. It is incredibly difficult to distinguish between a primary brain lesions and a solitary metastasis from distant occult disease using current imaging techniques. Further, complications arise from the shifting paradigm in how medicine views NSCLC brain metastasis due to contemporary nonsurgical curative treatments and the recent increase in the number of multiple primary malignancy (MPM) diagnoses associated with NSCLC. There is a dearth of reports regarding synchronous double primary malignancies involving separate lung and brain pathologies. Importantly, understanding the underlying cancer etiology is necessary for efficacious treatment strategy. Case Presentation: A 65-year-old white male patient presented with node-positive NSCLC and a solitary intracranial lesion. The lung mass responded favorably to chemoradiotherapy while the brain lesion continued to progress despite stereotactic radiosurgery treatment. Subsequent resection of the brain lesion, conducted 8 months after initial presentation, surprisingly revealed a second primary cancer diagnosis of glioblastoma (GB). Unfortunately, despite revision of systemic therapeutic strategy, the patient continued to progress through treatment and ultimately died 16 months after the initial diagnosis. Conclusion: Herein is the third report regarding synchronous double primary malignancies involving non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and GB. This report of an assumed metastatic NSCLC patient with a solitary brain lesion, history of smoking, and COPD underscores the need for pathological confirmation of all new presentations of metastatic disease via biopsy and highlights the importance of including the possibility of a second primary in the differential diagnosis. Additional reports of NSCLC and synchronous solitary brain lesions are needed to further elucidate pertinent patient characteristics and better inform clinical decision making.
format Article
id doaj-art-e0e2b8da392e429590b6df336040028d
institution Kabale University
issn 1662-6575
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Karger Publishers
record_format Article
series Case Reports in Oncology
spelling doaj-art-e0e2b8da392e429590b6df336040028d2025-08-20T03:49:41ZengKarger PublishersCase Reports in Oncology1662-65752025-02-0118133033810.1159/000543770Synchronous Double Primary Malignancy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Literature ReviewJoseph CarmichealKurtis C. Johnsonhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4862-5865Beth K. NeilsenNicole ShonkaChi ZhangMichael Baine Introduction: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer and has a propensity to metastasize to the brain. It is incredibly difficult to distinguish between a primary brain lesions and a solitary metastasis from distant occult disease using current imaging techniques. Further, complications arise from the shifting paradigm in how medicine views NSCLC brain metastasis due to contemporary nonsurgical curative treatments and the recent increase in the number of multiple primary malignancy (MPM) diagnoses associated with NSCLC. There is a dearth of reports regarding synchronous double primary malignancies involving separate lung and brain pathologies. Importantly, understanding the underlying cancer etiology is necessary for efficacious treatment strategy. Case Presentation: A 65-year-old white male patient presented with node-positive NSCLC and a solitary intracranial lesion. The lung mass responded favorably to chemoradiotherapy while the brain lesion continued to progress despite stereotactic radiosurgery treatment. Subsequent resection of the brain lesion, conducted 8 months after initial presentation, surprisingly revealed a second primary cancer diagnosis of glioblastoma (GB). Unfortunately, despite revision of systemic therapeutic strategy, the patient continued to progress through treatment and ultimately died 16 months after the initial diagnosis. Conclusion: Herein is the third report regarding synchronous double primary malignancies involving non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and GB. This report of an assumed metastatic NSCLC patient with a solitary brain lesion, history of smoking, and COPD underscores the need for pathological confirmation of all new presentations of metastatic disease via biopsy and highlights the importance of including the possibility of a second primary in the differential diagnosis. Additional reports of NSCLC and synchronous solitary brain lesions are needed to further elucidate pertinent patient characteristics and better inform clinical decision making. https://karger.com/article/doi/10.1159/000543770
spellingShingle Joseph Carmicheal
Kurtis C. Johnson
Beth K. Neilsen
Nicole Shonka
Chi Zhang
Michael Baine
Synchronous Double Primary Malignancy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Literature Review
Case Reports in Oncology
title Synchronous Double Primary Malignancy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Literature Review
title_full Synchronous Double Primary Malignancy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Literature Review
title_fullStr Synchronous Double Primary Malignancy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Literature Review
title_full_unstemmed Synchronous Double Primary Malignancy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Literature Review
title_short Synchronous Double Primary Malignancy of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Literature Review
title_sort synchronous double primary malignancy of non small cell lung cancer and glioblastoma a case report and literature review
url https://karger.com/article/doi/10.1159/000543770
work_keys_str_mv AT josephcarmicheal synchronousdoubleprimarymalignancyofnonsmallcelllungcancerandglioblastomaacasereportandliteraturereview
AT kurtiscjohnson synchronousdoubleprimarymalignancyofnonsmallcelllungcancerandglioblastomaacasereportandliteraturereview
AT bethkneilsen synchronousdoubleprimarymalignancyofnonsmallcelllungcancerandglioblastomaacasereportandliteraturereview
AT nicoleshonka synchronousdoubleprimarymalignancyofnonsmallcelllungcancerandglioblastomaacasereportandliteraturereview
AT chizhang synchronousdoubleprimarymalignancyofnonsmallcelllungcancerandglioblastomaacasereportandliteraturereview
AT michaelbaine synchronousdoubleprimarymalignancyofnonsmallcelllungcancerandglioblastomaacasereportandliteraturereview