Sudden improvement of respiratory failure in a woman with carcinoma of the colon.

We present a case of bronchial and endotracheal metastases completely blocking the left main bronchus and partially occluding the middle lobe bronchus contributing to severe respiratory failure. The patient's lack of consent to laser resection of the mass led to the use of chemotherapy; after the first cycle of treatment a neoplastic mass about 3 cm long was spontaneously expelled with a cough. The expulsion of the metastasis caused rapid improvement of the dyspnea and gas exchange; however, the continuation of the chemotherapy did not bring any further benefit to the patient, who died 115 days after diagnosis.