title: Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the urinary bladder. 15-year retrospective analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are cancers found in the bronchopulmonary tract, where they were first described in 1926. The tumors are associated  with poor  prognosis due to their high metastatic potency even after radical treatments associated with other neo- or adjuvant therapies. NET of the urinary bladder is a rare tumor and accounts for 0.5% of bladder tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed as an observational, descriptive and retrospective study of 13 patients diagnosed, treated, and followed for NET of the urinary bladder  at the Hospital and University Complex of Albacete, Albacete, Spain between 1995 and 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample was composed of 11 men and 2 women. Mean patient age at the time of diagnosis was 71 (range, 57-88; SD, 6.98) years. T4 (6  patients) was the most  common T tumor stage, followed by T2 (5 patients) and T3 (2 patients). In the case of N tumor stage, the most common was N2. In the remaining 3  patients, the degree of  lymph node involvement could not be assessed. Six presented distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Eleven patients presented small-cell NET on histology. Seven  underwent radical surgery (radical cystectomy). All other patients were treated by deep transurethral resection of bladder tumor, except for 1 patient treated  by partial  cystectomy. Adjuvant chemo-therapy (usually an association of carboplatin/cisplatin and etoposide) was administered to 4 patients. Of these 4  patients, 2 were also treated  by pelvic radiotherapy. Two patients survived more than 5 years following diagnosis. In fact, at the time the study data was collected only 4 patients had survived and 2  presented tumor recurrence. Of the 9 deaths, 8 occurred within 6 months of diagnosis and 1 at 24 months. All of them were the result of the disease itself.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuroendocrine tumor of the urinary bladder is a rare, aggressive tumor with high metastatic potential that should be considered in the differential diagnosis  of urinary bladder neoplasms. Despite various multimodality treatments have been used prognosis is poor.
authors.affiliation: Urology Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Albacete, Hermanos Falcó 37, Albacete, Spain. migue156@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perán Teruel
authors.forename: Jose Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Giménez Bachs
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez Ruiz
authors.forename: Pedro Jesus
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Fernández Anguita
authors.forename: Maria Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nuñez Sarrión
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pastor Guzmán
authors.forename: Antonio S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Salinas Sánchez
authors.forename: Juan Gabriel
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lorenzo Romero
authors.forename: Maria José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Donate Moreno
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atienzar Tobarra
authors.forename: Julio A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Virseda Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015653:Cystectomy; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006417:Hematuria / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018358:Neuroendocrine Tumors / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013534:Survival; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*