title: Anaplastic pancreatic carcinoma. A case report and review of literature .
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anaplastic pancreatic carcinoma is an aggressive neoplasm with survival measurable in weeks. It presents as a large cystic mass with loco-regional and distant spread. Three histological types have been described: pleomorphic, spindle cell and sarcomatoid.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the case of a 74-year-old woman with pleomorphic anaplastic carcinoma of the pancreas diagnosed after laparoscopic biopsy. The patient had a rapid downhill course with progression of the disease and demise within 4 weeks after diagnostic laparoscopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to the rapid spread of the disease, no effective cure exists for these tumors. A brief review of the histological and radiological findings and the possible mechanisms of the pathogenesis of anaplastic tumors is included in the discussion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
authors.forename: Manpreet K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chadha
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: LeVea
authors.forename: Milind
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Javle
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuvshinoff
authors.forename: Rekha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vijaykumar
authors.forename: Renuka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iyer
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009852:Omentum / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed