Tumor-to-tumor spread: a case report and literature review of renal cell carcinoma metastasis into thyroid cancer

Tumor-to-tumor metastasis is a rare, yet important entity. Patients with a history of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) may have tumor deposits to the thyroid gland preceding or following their initial cancer diagnosis for many years. The diagnosis can be challenging, and clinicians must remain suspicious of a newly found thyroid nodule in a patient with a history of RCC. In this review, we report a case of a patient with RCC who was incidentally found to have a thyroid nodule on surveillance imaging found to be consistent with tumor-to-tumor metastasis from RCC into papillary thyroid carcinoma. It is imperative to consider this diagnosis as the thyroid is the most common site of spread, and treatment with partial or total thyroidectomy has led to improved survival.

Automated summary

Tumor-to-tumor metastasis is a rare but important condition, especially in patients with a history of renal cell carcinoma. This case report highlights the presence of a thyroid nodule consistent with tumor-to-tumor metastasis from RCC into papillary thyroid carcinoma. Therefore, clinicians should remain vigilant when encountering newly discovered thyroid nodules in patients with a history of RCC.