Incisional skin metastasis of a squamous cell cervical carcinoma 3.5 years after radical treatment--a case report

Abstract

Metastatic carcinoma in an abdominal wall incision from internal malignant neoplasm is an uncommon and often a preterminal event. Most commonly metastatic skin incisional cancers have been reported with cancers of colon, kidney, and bladder. Incisional metastasis from postoperative case of carcinoma cervix is very rare. It has been reported in few patients with adenocarcinoma and poorly differentiated histopathology, more so at drain site postoperatively. We report a postoperative case of squamous cell carcinoma cervix FIGO stage IIA in a patient who after 3.5 years of completion of radical treatment (postoperative external and intravaginal radiation therapy) developed incisional skin metastasis followed by extensive subcutaneous metastasis in the vulval region. She received salvage chemotherapy; however, she did not show any response and finally succumbed to the disease. The outcome of patients with incisional skin metastasis is usually poor as they are often associated with locoregional recurrence. The intent of treatment remains palliation either by radiation/chemotherapy/surgery alone or in combinations. As far as we know, this is the first case of squamous cell carcinoma cervix stage IIA having incisional scar recurrence 3.5 years after postoperative radiotherapy.