UNEXPECTED SYNCHRONOUS NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA ENCOUNTERED DURING THE TREATMENT OF A PREVIOUSLY-DIAGNOSED CARCINOMA - REPORT OF 3 CASES

We report three patients in whom non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) were un expectedly found during treatment of previously-diagnosed carcinoma. T he first patient was a 72 year old woman with an endometrioid carcinom a in whom NHL was found in the pelvic lymph nodes. The second patient was a 76 year-old man with adenocarcinoma of the stomach and NHL of th e small intestine. The third patient was a 66 year old man with adenoc arcinoma of the prostate and NHL of the iliac lymph nodes. In these pa tients, it was necessary to exclude metastasis of the known carcinoma and to establish the diagnosis of unexpected NHL. The adjuvant treatme nt plans of the patients were ultimately not significantly altered, hi lt increased surveillance for recurrence of two neoplasms is now warra nted. These patients alerted us to beware of indolent NHL in specimens removed for the treatment of carcinoma.