Curative resection of a small cell carcinoma of the pancreas: report of a case of long survival without chemotherapy

Pancreatic small cell cancer

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) is most commonly associated with lung cancer. Extra-pulmonary SCC can originate in virtually any organ system, with the gastrointestinal tract being the most common site of involvement. We review the clinical presentation, pathogenesis, histology, imaging modalities and optimal therapeutic management of PSCC in light of available evidence.

Surgical Treatment as a Principle for Patients with High-Grade Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: A Nordic Multicenter Comparative Study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the role of surgery for patients with high-grade pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (hgPNEC) in a large Nordic multicenter cohort study. Prior studies evaluating the role of surgery for patients with hgPNEC are limited, and the benefit of the surgery is uncertain.

METHODS

Data from patients with a diagnosis of hgPNEC determined between 1998 and 2012 were retrospectively registered at 10 Nordic university hospitals. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare the overall survival of different treatment groups, and Cox-regression analysis was used to evaluate factors potentially influencing survival.

RESULTS

The study registered 119 patients. The median survival period from the time of metastasis was 23 months for patients undergoing initial resection of localized nonmetastatic disease and chemotherapy at the time of recurrence (n = 14), 29 months for patients undergoing resection of the primary tumor and resection/radiofrequency ablation of synchronous metastatic liver disease (n = 12), and 13 months for patients with synchronous metastatic disease given systemic chemotherapy alone (n = 78). The 3-year survival rate after surgery of the primary tumor and metastatic disease was 69 %. Resection of the primary tumor was an independent factor for improved survival after occurrence of metastatic disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with resected localized nonmetastatic hgPNEC and later metastatic disease seemed to benefit from initial resection of the primary tumor. Patients selected for resection of the primary tumor and synchronous liver metastases had a high 3-year survival rate. Selected patients with both localized hgPNEC and metastatic hgPNEC should be considered for radical surgical treatment.

Laparoscopic resection of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are a rare heterogeneous group of endocrine neoplasms. Surgery remains the best curative option for this type of tumor. Over the past two decades, with the development of laparoscopic pancreatic surgery, an increasingly larger number of PNET resections are being performed by these minimally-invasive techniques. In this review article, the various laparoscopic surgical options for the excision of PNETs are discussed. In addition, a summary of the literature describing the outcome of these treatment modalities is presented.

Surgical treatment of sporadic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: a state of the art review

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are rare neoplasms. They are clinically diverse and divided into functioning and nonfunctioning disease, depending on their ability to produce symptoms due to hormone production. Surgical resection is the only curative treatment and remains the cornerstone therapy for this patient group, even in patients with advanced disease. Over the last decade there has been a noticeable trend towards more aggressive surgery as well as more minimally invasive surgery in patients with PNETs. This has resulted in improved long-term survival in patients with locally advanced and metastatic disease treated aggressively, as well as shorter hospital stays and comparable long-term outcomes in patients with limited disease treated minimally invasively. There are still controversies related to issues of surgical treatment of PNETs, such as to what extent enucleation, lymph node sampling, and vascular reconstruction are beneficial for the oncologic outcome. Histopathologic tumor classification is of high clinical importance for treatment planning and prognostic evaluation of patients with PNETs. A constant challenge, which relates to the treatment of PNETs, is the lack of an internationally accepted histopathological classification system. This paper reviews current issues on the surgical treatment of sporadic PNETs with specific focus on surgical approaches and tumor classification.

Small cell and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the pancreas are genetically similar and distinct from well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) of the pancreas are rare malignant neoplasms with a poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine the clinicopathologic and genetic features of poorly differentiated NECs and compare them with other types of pancreatic neoplasms. We investigated alterations of KRAS, CDKN2A/p16, TP53, SMAD4/DPC4, DAXX, ATRX, PTEN, Bcl2, and RB1 by immunohistochemistry and/or targeted exomic sequencing in surgically resected specimens of 9 small cell NECs, 10 large cell NECs, and 11 well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) of the pancreas. Abnormal immunolabeling patterns of p53 and Rb were frequent (p53, 18 of 19, 95%; Rb, 14 of 19, 74%) in both small cell and large cell NECs, whereas Smad4/Dpc4, DAXX, and ATRX labeling was intact in virtually all of these same carcinomas. Abnormal immunolabeling of p53 and Rb proteins correlated with intragenic mutations in the TP53 and RB1 genes. In contrast, DAXX and ATRX labeling was lost in 45% of PanNETs, whereas p53 and Rb immunolabeling was intact in these same cases. Overexpression of Bcl-2 protein was observed in all 9 small cell NECs (100%) and in 5 of 10 (50%) large cell NECs compared with only 2 of 11 (18%) PanNETs. Bcl-2 overexpression was significantly correlated with higher mitotic rate and Ki67 labeling index in neoplasms in which it was present. Small cell NECs are genetically similar to large cell NECs, and these genetic changes are distinct from those reported in PanNETs. The finding of Bcl-2 overexpression in poorly differentiated NECs, particularly small cell NEC, suggests that Bcl-2 antagonists/inhibitors may be a viable treatment option for these patients.

Resectable pancreatic small cell carcinoma

Primary pancreatic small cell carcinoma (SCC) is rare, with just over 30 cases reported in the literature. Only 7 of these patients underwent surgical resection with a median survival of 6 months. Prognosis of SCC is therefore considered to be poor, and the role of adjuvant therapy is uncertain. Here we report two institutions' experience with resectable pancreatic SCC. Six patients with pancreatic SCC treated at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (4 patients) and the Mayo Clinic (2 patients) were identified from prospectively collected pancreatic cancer databases and re-reviewed by pathology. All six patients underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy. Clinicopathologic data were analyzed, and the literature on pancreatic SCC was reviewed. Median age at diagnosis was 50 years (range 27–60). All six tumors arose in the head of the pancreas. Median tumor size was 3 cm, and all cases had positive lymph nodes except for one patient who only had five nodes sampled. There were no perioperative deaths and three patients had at least one postoperative complication. All six patients received adjuvant therapy, five of whom were given combined modality treatment with radiation, cisplatin, and etoposide. Median survival was 20 months with a range of 9–173 months. The patient who lived for 9 months received chemotherapy only, while the patient who lived for 173 months was given chemoradiation with cisplatin and etoposide and represents the longest reported survival time from pancreatic SCC to date. Pancreatic SCC is an extremely rare form of cancer with a poor prognosis. Patients in this surgical series showed favorable survival rates when compared to prior reports of both resected and unresectable SCC. Cisplatin and etoposide appears to be the preferred chemotherapy regimen, although its efficacy remains uncertain, as does the role of combined modality treatment with radiation.

Mayo Clinic experience with very rare exocrine pancreatic neoplasms

OBJECTIVES

Limited data are available to guide the management of very rare exocrine neoplasms of the pancreas (VREP). Available evidence suggests that VREP have different risk factors and prognoses from those of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. The primary objectives for this study were to determine the survival, comorbidities, and response to treatment of patients seen at Mayo Clinic with VREP.

METHODS

We reviewed patients from 1975 to 2005 who had VREP and compared them to patients with adenocarcinomas that were matched for TNM, grade, and decade of treatment.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients with VREP were identified. The most commonly identified neoplasms were acinar cell carcinoma (n = 15), small cell carcinoma (n = 12), and squamous cell carcinoma (n = 8). Abdominal discomfort and jaundice were the most common presenting symptoms. The median overall survival for patients with VREP, 10.4 months (range, 3.7-23 months), was better than that for matched controls, 8.2 months (range, 4-15.4 months) (P = 0.01). There was no difference in the survival of patients with stage 4 disease between cases, 8 months (range, 2.3-21.8 months), and controls, 6.7 months (range, 2.3-10.8 months) (P = 0.17).

CONCLUSIONS

We present one of the largest series of VREP to date. The overall survival of all patients with VREP was better than matched controls, but no statistical difference was seen between the groups with stage 4 disease.

A case of long survival in poorly differentiated small cell carcinoma of the pancreas

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) of the pancreas is rare. It has similar histological features to pulmonary small cell carcinoma and is equally aggressive. Most patients with SCC in the pancreas reported in case studies died within 1 year after diagnosis. We present a case of unusually long-term survival after surgery and combined chemotherapy for SCC of the pancreas. A 62-year-old woman presented with epigastric pain and jaundice. Computed tomography revealed dilated common bile duct caused by external compression of the mass in the pancreatic head. Exploratory laparotomy and pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD) was performed with histopathological analysis confirming a primary small cell carcinoma of the pancreas. After an uneventful postoperative recovery, the patient was treated with 6 cycles of combined chemotherapy consisting of cisplantin and ectoposide. During the follow-up, there was no evidence of recurrence and the patient has remained in a good health condition for 36 mo since the diagnosis.

Primary small cell carcinoma of the pancreas with an unusual sonographic appearance

We present a case of primary pancreatic small cell carcinoma with an unusual sonographic feature. A 75-year-old woman presented with poor appetite and weight loss. Abdominal sonographic examination revealed a diffusely enlarged pancreas with relative increased echogenicity and smooth contour. CT also confirmed the diffuse infiltrative pattern of the tumor. The diagnosis was confirmed via sonographically guided biopsy. The tumor was composed of small cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and scanty cytoplasm infiltrating the pancreatic tissue, consistent with small cell carcinoma of the pancreas. Primary pancreatic small cell carcinoma rarely presents as the diffuse infiltrating type. These unusual sonographic features must be differentiated from other pancreatic tumors presenting as diffuse pancreatic enlargement.