A SUCCESSFUL CASE OF LYMPHATIC EMBOLIZATION IN A PATIENT WITH PROLONGED LYMPHATIC LEAKAGE AFTER CYTOREDUCTIVE NEPHRECTOMY FOR METASTATIC RENAL CANCER

Abstract

A 57-years-old woman was referred to our urological department due to a 7.2-cm tumor in the left kidney, detected on computed tomography (CT). Dynamic CT of the kidney confirmed the diagnosis of left renal cancer, with lung metastasis (cT2aN0M1). The patient had a poor prognosis (IMDC classification), given the following risk factors: Time from initial diagnosis to initiation of systemic therapy < 1year, hemoglobin of 8.4 g/dL, calcium of 10.7 mg/dL, and platelet of 74.2×104/mm3. Laparoscopic left radical nephrectomy was performed before systemic drug treatment because the solitary lung metastasis was relatively small (10 mm) and the patient had symptoms of hematuria and fever. The pathological diagnosis was a clear cell carcinoma with renal sinus invasion (pT3a). Four days postoperatively, the patient developed lymphatic leakage, and was unresponsive to diet and conservative treatment. Lymphatic embolization with iodized poppy oil fatty acid ethyl ester was performed 22 days postoperatively. Contrast material leakage from the left renal hilar lymph node was observed before embolization. Post-embolization CT confirmed no contrast leakage. The patient resumed oral feeding on the 28th postoperative day, and the drain was successfully removed the next day. She was discharged on the 35th postoperative day. On follow-up, increased lung metastases were observed on CT. She was treated with the combination of ipilimumab and nivolumab. After one course of treatment, a CT scan showed a further increased in lung metastases (RECIST: PD). Thus, she was initiated on cabozantinib monotherapy. Lymphatic embolization may be a safe and effective treatment for lymphatic leakage that does not improve with conservative treatment.