Definitive (chemo)radiotherapy of enteric-type adenocarcinoma of the lung: time to unmask an underrated treatment option?

Background: Enteric-type adenocarcinoma of the lung (lung-ETAC) is an exceptionally rare variant of lung adenocarcinoma, often presenting diagnostic challenges due to its histological resemblance to colorectal adenocarcinoma. This rarity has hindered the development of standardized treatment protocols, with most management approaches being empirical. Radiotherapy is used infrequently for lung-ETAC, predominantly reserved for palliative care in metastatic cases. Recent studies, however, suggest that lung-ETAC may have a better prognosis than other lung cancer subtypes, thus raising the need to explore alternative therapeutic strategies, including radiotherapy.

Case report: We present the case of a 73-year-old female with stage IIIA lung-ETAC who was treated with curative-intent radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy. Despite transient pulmonary complications, the patient exhibited an almost complete response to treatment after 2 months, achieving sustained clinical remission with no further antitumor therapies.

Conclusion: This case underscores the potential role of high-dose radiotherapy as a curative treatment for locally advanced lung-ETAC. Given the limited evidence, further research is needed to better define the role of chemoradiotherapy in the management of this rare histological subtype.