Stage II Medullary Carcinoma of the Colon: A Surgery Case Report

Cureus. 2023 Dec 17;15(12):e50674. doi: 10.7759/cureus.50674. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Medullary carcinoma (MC) is a rare subtype of colorectal cancer, which presents with poorly differentiated histology and is often confused with conventional adenocarcinoma of the colon. While this form of colorectal cancer is rare, it often does not meet the high-risk criteria to qualify for adjuvant chemotherapy even with a favorable prognosis. Diagnosis of MC is a proven difficulty because of the lack of immunohistochemical stains on pathology seen in adenocarcinoma of the colon. Unlike adenocarcinoma of the colon, distant metastasis is rare. Patients diagnosed with MC have one- and two-year survival rates of 93% and 74%, respectively. The patient was a 75-year-old female diagnosed with MC of the sigmoid colon and a large uterine fibroid. In this case report, we discuss the high-risk indications of colorectal cancer and the recommended treatment of patients with stage II MC of the colon.

Keywords: adjuvant chemotheapy; high risk intervention; laparoscopic colon resection; medullary carcinoma of the colon; stage ii colon cancer.

Publication types

  • Case Reports