A 20-year retrospective study of small-cell carcinomas in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
Small-cell carcinomas (SCC) develop most commonly in the lung (small-cell lung carcinoma, SCLC) and only small percentages are present at extra-pulmonary sites. This study aimed to examine the distribution, treatment, and survival of SCCs.


METHODS
The records for 922 SCC cases of various origins between January 1989 and December 2008 were retrieved and analyzed.


RESULTS
The lung (89.2%) was the most common location, followed by the esophagus (1.8%), urinary bladder (1.6%), uterine cervix (1.5%), colorectum (1.4%), skin (1.0%), stomach (0.9%), head and neck (0.7%), prostate (0.3%), and small intestine (0.1%). Limited disease (LD) SCLC patients underwent surgery and chemotherapy had significantly higher survival rates than those who received chemotherapy alone, those who underwent combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and those who were administered supportive treatment. Actuarial 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rate was 28.9%, 9.4%, and 4.8% for total SCLC cases, 41.3%, 17.5%, and 9.6% for LD-SCLC patients, and 21.9%, 4.2%, and 1.8% for extensive disease (ED)-SCLC patients (P < 0.001). The survival rates for lung and stomach SCC patients with LD were significantly better than for patients with ED; cervical SCC stages I and IIa patients had better survival rates than patients with stage IIb and above (P = 0.034).


CONCLUSIONS
The lung was the most common location of SCCs, with 9.3% of cases being extra-pulmonary in origin. The need for combined surgery and chemotherapy in LD-SCLC patients deserves further evaluation.
Li
Anna Fen-Yau
AF
School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. fyli@vghtpe.gov.tw
Hsu
Han-Shui
HS
Hsu
Chih-Yi
CY
Li
Alice Chia-Heng
AC
Li
Win-Yin
WY
Liang
Wen-Yih
WY
Chen
Jeou-Yuan
JY
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome