Primary small cell carcinoma of the pancreas: rare type of pancreatic cancer and review of the literatures.
BACKGROUND
Primary small cell carcinoma of the pancreas (SCCP) is a rare malignancy with an extremely poor prognosis which accounts for 1 to 1.4 percent of all pancreatic malignancies.


METHODS
We present the case of a 62-year-old man with a half-month history of upper abdominal discomfort who was diagnosed with SCC of the pancreatic tail. A Chest X-ray showed no evidence of primary lung tumor. The diagnosis of a SCCP was confirmed by post-surgery pathology and immunohistology. In our review of the published reports of SCCP, we only found a few cases reported in the literatures. The diagnosis of SCCP needs the post-surgery pathology and immunohistology and the prognosis of SCCP is extremely poor. There was a significant increase in median survival, from 1 to 6 months, in treated patients compared to patients treated only by symptomatic management. Chemotherapy was the most common treatment and the combination of cisplatin/etoposide was most frequently prescribed.


CONCLUSIONS
The accurate diagnosis of (SCCP) is necessary for determining prognosis and deciding appropriate therapy.
Pancreatic cancer group, Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
Dansong
D
Wang
Yefei
Y
Rong
Wenchuan
W
Wu
Dayong
D
Jin
D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed