Metastatic adenocarcinoma of prostate in a healing sternotomy site

Metastatic prostate cancer has a strong predilection for osseous sites, where the disease spreads in 80% of advanced cases. The molecular mechanisms involved in prostate cancer establishment in bone are largely unknown; however, local tissue factors, including those involved in wound healing, have been suggested to play a critical role. We present a case of tumor explosion in a median sternotomy wound after local prostate cancer therapy. This case highlights that novel therapeutic interventions that disrupt the apparent synergistic relationship between tumor cells and the pro-tumorigenic microenvironment may hold great promise in constraining the proliferation of prostate cancer metastases.