Advanced small-cell colon carcinoma: a case report

Localized Colonic Small-Cell Carcinoma with Pathological Complete Response after Neoadjuvant Cisplatin and Etoposide: A Case Report

Extrapulmonary small-cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare neoplasm that shares certain features with its pulmonary counterpart and occurs predominantly in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). It is a high-grade and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumor, usually diagnosed in advanced stages, with a poor prognosis and few therapeutic options in that setting. This is a case report of a 77-year-old Spanish male patient with localized SCC of the colon, who presented a pathological complete response in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide. To date, 5 years after surgery, the patient remains without evidence of tumor recurrence. As clinical guidelines for the management of this entity are lacking, and therefore its management has not been standardized, an attempt to summarize the current evidence in the literature was made.

A Rare Case of Rectosigmoid Small Cell Carcinoma

Colorectal small cell carcinomas are very rare neuroendocrine malignancies of the colon or rectum. They have poor prognosis due to the aggressive and highly recurrent nature of the disease. It is a malignancy that is also poorly understood with limited literature, and thus there is no consensus in management. This case report presents the clinical features and radiological images of an otherwise healthy 74-year-old gentleman with a rare and aggressive 112-mm rectosigmoid small cell carcinoma with evidence of metastatic disease. This report will also discuss the most current and pertinent diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations from the literature.

Small cell rectal cancer: a therapeutic challenge

A generally well 71-year-old man presented to his general practitioner with altered bowel habit and haematochezia. Colonoscopy revealed a malignant-appearing rectal mass, with histological features of extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma (EPSCC) of the rectum. Imaging demonstrated limited stage disease with a threatened circumferential resection margin. He was treated with a modified platinum chemoradiotherapy regimen for small cell lung cancer with an excellent response. Unfortunately, his cardiac function precluded surgery at the time and the patient subsequently developed hepatic metastases with local disease recurrence, and died 15 months following his initial diagnosis. Rectal EPSCC is a rare diagnosis, and this case represented a challenge for the multidisciplinary team given the limited evidence base. Medical therapy reflects extrapolation of small cell lung cancer treatment and the role of surgery is less clearly defined given aggressive and refractory disease is common. Immunotherapy, however, represents an exciting development for metastatic disease.