Extrapulmonary small-cell carcinoma: report of three cases and update of therapy and prognosis

Three male patients with extrapulmonary small-cell carcinoma originating fr om esophagus, pancreas and prostate are described. The patient with the eso phagus tumor had a combined small-cell and undifferentiated carcinoma. The other two patients had a pure small-cell carcinoma. All patients were treat ed with primary combination chemotherapy consisting of etoposide and cispla tin followed in one patient by locoregional radiotherapy. The patients with the esophagus and the pancreas tumor showed a partial response; the patien t with the prostate tumor achieved a complete remission but relapsed with b rain metastasis. All patients are alive 7, 13 and 19 months, respectively a fter initiation of the therapy. As in pulmonary small-cell carcinoma, prima ry chemotherapy is the treatment of choice in extrapulmonary small-cell car cinoma. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.