Quadruple Cancers of Non-producing Multiple Myeloma, Cholangiocellular Carcinoma, and Two Different Thyroid Cancers

Intern Med. 2016;55(9):1183-6. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.55.5319. Epub 2016 May 1.

Abstract

We report the case of a 72-year-old man who presented with non-producing multiple myeloma (MM) with three additional concomitant solid tumors that were identified by postmortem autopsy. The disease was refractory to anti-MM therapy including bortezomib and lenalidomide, and he finally died of bacterial pneumonia with diffuse alveolar damage 8 months after the diagnosis. An autopsy revealed that he was also affected by three other solid cancers, cholangiocellular carcinoma, medullary thyroid cancer and papillary thyroid cancer that were clinically asymptomatic and remained undiagnosed before death. A review of the literature suggests that primary quadruple cancers including MM are extremely rare.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / complications*
  • Bortezomib / therapeutic use
  • Carcinoma / complications*
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / complications*
  • Carcinoma, Papillary
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / complications*
  • Humans
  • Lenalidomide
  • Male
  • Multiple Myeloma / complications*
  • Multiple Myeloma / drug therapy
  • Thalidomide / analogs & derivatives
  • Thalidomide / therapeutic use
  • Thyroid Cancer, Papillary
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / complications*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • Thalidomide
  • Bortezomib
  • Lenalidomide

Supplementary concepts

  • Thyroid cancer, medullary