title: Extrapulmonary Small Cell Carcinoma - a Case Series of Oropharyngeal and Esophageal Primary Sites Treated with Chemo-Radiotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The optimal sequence and extent of multimodality therapy remains to be defined for extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma because of its rarity. The purpose of our study was to assess the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation/radiation in patients with extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four consecutively diagnosed patients were included in this study. The primary tumor site was oropharynx in three patients and esophagus in one. The patients with the limited disease were treated with chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation (n=2) or radiotherapy (n=1). The patient with the extensive disease with the primary site in vallecula was treated with chemotherapy and palliative radiotherapy to the metastatic site.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median follow-up was 22.5 months (range, 8-24 months). Three patients with the limited disease (base of tongue, n=2; esophagus, n=1) were in complete remission. The patient with the extensive disease died of loco-regional tumor progression at 8 months from the time of diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is the preferred therapeutic approach for patients with extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma. Induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation or radiation provides a good loco-regional control in patients with limited disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India E-mail : drpujasahai@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Puja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sahai
authors.forename: Saphalta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baghmar
authors.forename: Devajit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nath
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhasker
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gogia
authors.forename: Kapil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sikka
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Subhash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chander
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin