Hu RR, Liu M, Li HY. Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the descending colon with pancreatic metastasis: A case report. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2025; 17(6): 107272 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i6.107272]
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Jun 15, 2025; 17(6): 107272 Published online Jun 15, 2025. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i6.107272
Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the descending colon with pancreatic metastasis: A case report
Rui-Rui Hu, Mei Liu, Hong-Yun Li
Rui-Rui Hu, Mei Liu, Hong-Yun Li, Department of Gastroenterology, Jining No. 1 People’s Hospital, Jining 272000, Shandong Province, China
Co-first authors: Rui-Rui Hu and Mei Liu.
Author contributions: Hu RR and Liu M were responsible for conception and design of the research, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of the data, and writing of the manuscript, they contributed equally as co-first authors; Li HY was responsible for critical revision of the manuscript for intellectual content.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Received: March 20, 2025 Revised: April 7, 2025 Accepted: April 22, 2025 Published online: June 15, 2025 Processing time: 86 Days and 11.7 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the colon is a rare malignant tumor with an unclear pathogenesis. Its clinical presentation is similar to that of adenocarcinoma, and there are no standard treatment guidelines. Treatment for SCC of the colon is mainly based on the protocols for colon adenocarcinoma. In advanced stages, colon SCC is highly invasive, prone to distant metastasis, and has a worse prognosis than adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, pancreatic metastasis from colon SCC is even rarer.
CASE SUMMARY
The patient presented with abdominal pain and was diagnosed with SCC of the descending colon following colonoscopy. Preoperative examinations did not reveal any obvious metastasis to other organs, and the patient underwent laparoscopic radical resection of the descending colon cancer. During surgery, suspicious metastases to the pancreatic body and tail, splenic vessels, and splenic hilum were found, leading to combined resection of the pancreatic body and tail along with the spleen. Postoperative pathology confirmed moderately to poorly differentiated SCC with nerve invasion. The patient developed postoperative complications, including abdominal cavity infection, acute myocardial infarction, and deep vein thrombosis in the lower limbs. Despite active symptomatic treatment and stabilization of the patient’s vital signs, the patient did not undergo adjuvant chemotherapy due to an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of 3. The patient passed away 3 months postoperatively due to multiple organ failure.
CONCLUSION
This case highlights the aggressive nature of colorectal SCC with atypical metastasis and underscores the necessity for multidisciplinary perioperative management.
Core Tip: This case represents the first documented primary squamous cell carcinoma of the descending colon with pancreatic metastasis, highlighting the dual rarity of both the primary site and metastatic behavior. It underscores the challenges in managing this aggressive malignancy, including rare metastatic patterns and severe postoperative complications, while providing critical insights for optimizing multidisciplinary therapeutic strategies in colorectal squamous cell carcinoma.
