Abstract Background Abscopal effect is the out-of-field response to localized irradiation therapy that results in systemic antitumorigenic effects such as the regression of a tumor distant from the target site. Case presentation A 76-year-old woman was diagnosed with pulmonary adenocarcinoma (cT1bN0M0 stage IA), and right upper lobectomy was performed in November 2015. The pathological stage was pT1bN2M0 stage IIIA. Genomic analysis revealed an EGFR mutation. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a programmed death-ligand 1 tumor proportion score of