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Published in: Journal of Medical Case Reports 1/2022

Open Access 01-12-2022 | Lung Cancer | Case report

Hypermetabolic lymphadenopathy following the administration of COVID-19 vaccine and immunotherapy in a lung cancer patient: a case report

Authors: Shreya Tripathy, Nathaniel Alvarez, Shubham Jaiswal, Ryan Williams, Munaf Al-Khadimi, Sarah Hackman, William Phillips, Supreet Kaur, Sherri Cervantez, William Kelly, Josephine Taverna

Published in: Journal of Medical Case Reports | Issue 1/2022

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Abstract

Background

Given the current climate of the pandemic, lung cancer patients are especially vulnerable to complications from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. As a high-risk population group, these patients are strongly advised to receive coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination in accordance with Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to minimize morbidity and mortality. In recent years, immunotherapy has taken a preeminent role in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with dramatic improvement in overall survival. Reactive lymphadenopathy following the administration of a coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination can confound the radiographic interpretation of positron emission tomography–computed tomography or computed tomography scans from lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy.

Case presentation

Here, we present a case of a 61-year-old Caucasian female and former smoker who developed cervical, hilar, supraclavicular, mediastinal, and left retroauricular lymphadenopathy following her coronavirus disease 2019 booster vaccination. At the time, she had been receiving long-term immunotherapy for the treatment of advanced lung adenocarcinoma. Biopsy was pursued owing to concerns of treatment failure and confirmed recurrent malignancy.

Conclusion

This case report highlights the importance of lymph node biopsies in lung cancer patients who present with contralateral lymphadenopathy following coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination to rule out tumor recurrence in this deserving patient population.
Literature
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Metadata
Title
Hypermetabolic lymphadenopathy following the administration of COVID-19 vaccine and immunotherapy in a lung cancer patient: a case report
Authors
Shreya Tripathy
Nathaniel Alvarez
Shubham Jaiswal
Ryan Williams
Munaf Al-Khadimi
Sarah Hackman
William Phillips
Supreet Kaur
Sherri Cervantez
William Kelly
Josephine Taverna
Publication date
01-12-2022
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Journal of Medical Case Reports / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1752-1947
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-022-03660-9

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