Small cell (Neuroendocrine) carcinoma of the prostate: Etiology, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic implications-A retrospective study of 30 patients from the rare cancer network

Moshe E. Stein, Zvi Bernstein, Ufuc Abacioglu, Meric Sengoz, Robert C. Miller, Amichai Meirovitz, Abadou Zouhair, Salvador Villá Freixa, Philip H. Poortmans, Robert Ash, Abraham Kuten

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

Within the framework of the Rare Cancer Network Study, we examined 30 patients suffering from small cell neuroendocrine prostate cancer, either in an early/localized or an advanced/metastatic stage. Patients were treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy, with or without pelvic radiotherapy. Two patients with early disease achieved complete remission for a duration of 19 and 22 months. Three patients with advanced disease achieved complete remission for 6, 7, and 54 months, respectively. Twenty-five patients succumbed to massive local and/or distant failure. No patient presented with brain metastases as the initial site of relapse. Small cell neuroendocrine prostate carcinoma is a very aggressive disease with a poor prognosis, even in its localized form. Despite initial response, the common cisplatin-based chemotherapy plus radiotherapy failed to improve outcome markedly. Improvement will come from understanding the biology of the disease and integrating new targeted therapies into the treatment of this rare and aggressive tumor.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)478-488
Number of pages11
JournalAmerican Journal of the Medical Sciences
Volume336
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2008

Keywords

  • Prostate
  • Small cell carcinoma
  • Treatment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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