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Primary Upper Urinary Tract Small Cell Carcinoma: A Case Series and Literature Review

P. Hensley, A. Bhalodi, Shubham Gupta

Journal of Endourology Case Reports, 2017

15 citations

Abstract

Abstract Background: Primary upper urinary tract small cell carcinoma (SCC) is exceedingly rare with < 30 cases reported in the literature. Little is known about the incidence, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes in these patients. We present a series of three patients with primary upper tract SCC. Case Presentation: Patient 1 is an 89-year-old Caucasian male who presented with hydroureteronephrosis and a mass in the proximal right ureter. Biopsy revealed SCC. Without further intervention, the patient died 2 months after his diagnosis. Patient 2 is a 67-year-old Caucasian female who underwent left laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for primary distal ureteral SCC, pT4N1M0. She developed lymphadenopathy and completed external beam radiation to the pelvis and four courses of cisplatin-based chemotherapy. She died from metastatic disease 7 months after diagnosis. Patient 3 is a 45-year-old female who underwent open right radical nephrectomy, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, and hepatic metastasectomy for metastatic primary upper tract SCC, pT3N1M1. She underwent two subsequent retroperitoneal debulking procedures for recurrence followed by treatment with octreotide. She developed widespread metastasis and was treated with temozolomide and capecitabine before her death 80 months after diagnosis. Conclusion: This series contributes to the limited knowledge of the management and natural course of primary upper tract SCC. Patient 1 represents the first disease-specific mortality…

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