Cancer of unknown primary origin: a decade of experience in a community-based hospital.
BACKGROUND
Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) origin is a very aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. Most of the literature reports of CUP are generated from tertiary cancer centers.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review of all patients with a diagnosis of CUP was performed between January 1995 and January 2005. Age, gender, diagnostic evaluation, histologic diagnosis, location of metastases, treatment, and survival were recorded.


RESULTS
Ninety-one patients met the inclusion criteria. The pathologic diagnoses included adenocarcinoma (42.8%), undifferentiated carcinoma (34.5%), squamous cell carcinoma (9.8%), neuroendocrine cancer (6.5%), sarcoma (3.2%), and nonspecific malignant neoplasm (3.2%). The overall mean survival was 9.2 months (95% confidence interval, 6.1-12.4 mo), and for squamous cell carcinoma was 26.9 months (standard error, 5.7; P = .007).


CONCLUSIONS
CUP encompasses a variety of different pathologic entities with an overall dismal 5-year survival. Nonetheless, squamous cell and neuroendocrine CUP are associated with a significantly better early prognosis than the other malignancies.
Pimiento
Jose M
JM
Department of Surgery, Saint Mary's Health System, 56 Franklin St., Waterbury, CT 06702, USA. home_pimiento@hotmail.com
Teso
Desarom
D
Malkan
Alpin
A
Dudrick
Stanley J
SJ
Palesty
J Alexander
JA
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000556:secondary; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies