Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma (EPSCC): 10 years' multi-disciplinary experience at Charité.
BACKGROUND
Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma (EPSCC) is a rare disease of highly proliferating neuroendocrine tumor cells. Therapy and outcome of EPSCC patients treated at our institution were retrospectively analyzed.


METHODS
The records of all patients diagnosed with EPSCCs between 1998 and 2007 at the Charité Berlin were retrieved. Stage of disease, therapy, treatment response, time to progression and overall survival were assessed.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight patients with EPSCC were identified. Primary tumor sites were genitourinary tract, head and neck, gastrointestinal tract, breast, and unknown primary. Fifteen patients had locoregional (LD) and 13 had distant metastatic disease (ED). Median survival was 43 and 12 months in LD and ED patients. Four out of seven LD patients receiving chemotherapy plus local treatment remained free of disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Prolonged survival can be achieved in patients with LD by multimodal therapy. Overall survival in patients with ED is comparable to patients with ED small cell lung cancer.
Ochsenreither
Sebastian
S
Charité, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Department of Medicine III (Hematology and Oncology), Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany. sebastian.ochsenreither@charite.de
Marnitz-Schultze
Simone
S
Schneider
Achim
A
Koehler
Christardt
C
Daum
Severin
S
Loddenkemper
Christoph
C
Budach
Volker
V
Thiel
Eckhard
E
Keilholz
Ulrich
U
Schmittel
Alexander
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D055099:Neuroendocrine Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D016896:Treatment Outcome