title: Endobronchial metastases from colon cancer without liver metastases: report of eight cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The liver is the most common site of hematogenous spread from colon tumors. Pulmonary metastases from colon cancer result, in most of the cases, from hepatic metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe eight cases of colorectal cancers in which endobronchial metastases have been developed without any evidence of liver involvement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median age was 62 years old. In most of the patients, the primary cancer developed in the left side. The median time from colorectal presentation to pulmonary onset was four years. Dyspnea was the major symptom in all cases. Pulmonary involvement included endobronchial metastasis in all cases. CT scan of the chest showed bilateral, diffuse, large, nodular infiltrates without lymph nodes enlargement and without pleural effusion. Endobronchial therapy brought symptomatic relief in all cases; however, two-year follow-up showed only 50 percent survival rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endobronchial metastasis should be suspected in patients with colon cancer with respiratory symptoms, even without known liver metastasis. To the best of our knowledge, such a case series has not been published yet.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Institute, Shaare - Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Ariella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bar-Gil Shitrit
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shitrit
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bakal
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Braverman
authors.forename: Mordechai R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kramer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed