Cancer of unknown primary site in which tumor marker-oriented chemotherapy was effective and pancreatic cancer was finally confirmed at autopsy.
We report a 47-year-old man with cancer of unknown primary site in whom pancreatic cancer was confirmed at autopsy. Although a primary lesion was not confirmed, we planned to perform tumor marker-oriented chemotherapy because pancreatic cancer was suspected as the primary lesion based on tumor markers and pathological findings from metastatic lymph node. Neither S-1 nor gemcitabine was effective. However, gemcitabine combined with low-dose cisplatin therapy resulted in a marked decrease in the size of tumors. Microscopic examination at autopsy revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in the pancreatic head, although a pancreatic mass was not clear macroscopically.
Ohtsubo
Koushiro
K
Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan. ohtsubo@kenroku.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Watanabe
Hiroyuki
H
Yamada
Tadaaki
T
Tsuchiyama
Tomoya
T
Mouri
Hisatsugu
H
Yamashita
Kaname
K
Yasumoto
Kazuo
K
Ikeda
Hiroko
H
Nakanuma
Yasuni
Y
Yano
Seiji
S
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001344:Autopsy; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C042317:DU-PAN-2 antigen, human; C059729:pancreatic associated antigen, SPan-1; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine