PURPOSE: Choroidal metastasis from lung cancer is very rare in the clinical setting. Treatment for lung cancer with symptomatic choroidal metastasis remains uncertain because of the rarity of such cases. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on symptomatic choroidal metastasis from lung cancer at the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital from January 2010 to August 2011. In addition, we also performed literature review of all such patients (or of cancers with choroidal metastasis) treated with systemic chemotherapy. RESULTS: In our study, a total of 226 lung cancer patients were registered during the study period, and only four had choroidal metastasis (4/226, 1.77 %). Three were female (75 %) and one was male, with a mean age of 40.74 (range 26-60) years. Three patients had marked choroidal tumor regression after treatment with pemetrexed and cisplatin. In the literature reviews, there are only 12 patients (including our patients) received systemic chemotherapy alone instead of local therapy and eight (66.7 %) demonstrated choroidal tumor regression after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic choroidal metastasis from lung cancer is extremely rare. Our findings indicate that systemic chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin may be a good option for such patients. Further large-scale studies for the treatment of such patients are warranted. However, currently, radiotherapy is still the gold standard for such patients.
PURPOSE: Choroidal metastasis from lung cancer is very rare in the clinical setting. Treatment for lung cancer with symptomatic choroidal metastasis remains uncertain because of the rarity of such cases. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on symptomatic choroidal metastasis from lung cancer at the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital from January 2010 to August 2011. In addition, we also performed literature review of all such patients (or of cancers with choroidal metastasis) treated with systemic chemotherapy. RESULTS: In our study, a total of 226 lung cancerpatients were registered during the study period, and only four had choroidal metastasis (4/226, 1.77 %). Three were female (75 %) and one was male, with a mean age of 40.74 (range 26-60) years. Three patients had marked choroidal tumor regression after treatment with pemetrexed and cisplatin. In the literature reviews, there are only 12 patients (including our patients) received systemic chemotherapy alone instead of local therapy and eight (66.7 %) demonstrated choroidal tumor regression after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic choroidal metastasis from lung cancer is extremely rare. Our findings indicate that systemic chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin may be a good option for such patients. Further large-scale studies for the treatment of such patients are warranted. However, currently, radiotherapy is still the gold standard for such patients.