Combined small cell carcinoma and sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma in the renal pelvis

We report here a case of combined small cell carcinoma and sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma in the renal pelvis. A 61-year-old female presented with right flank discomfort, microhematuria and progressive renal dysfunction. Following diagnosis of right renal pelvic carcinoma, radical nephroureterectomy with lymph node dissection was performed through a midline incision. The tumor was pathologically diagnosed to be combined small cell carcinoma and sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma in the renal pelvis. The patient had no evidence of recurrence or metastasis, 16 months postoperatively. Small cell carcinoma or sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis is very rare. We believe this is the first such case to be reported in the world.     

Pulmonary small cell carcinoma associated with sarcoid reactions: Report of a case

A 45-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for investigation of a nodular shadow in segment 5 of the right lung on a chest computed tomogram. A right middle lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed under a diagnosis of lung cancer, and histologic examination confirmed small cell carcinoma. There were sarcoid reactions in the resected lymph nodes and the lung parenchyma, but no signs of systemic sarcoidosis were evident. Sarcoid reactions are rarely observed in the regional lymph nodes draining malignant tumors. Moreover, while they are most common in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, they extremely rare in small cell carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is only the third report of this unusual entity in the English and Japanese literature.     

Combined large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma

We report a case of combined large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. A 78-year-old man with vertigo was referred to our hospital where chest X-ray revealed a tumor shadow in the right lung. A transbronchial lung biopsy specimen verified a diagnosis of non-small cell lung carcinoma (cT1N0M0). Right lower lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection (#7,8,9) was performed. A postoperative histological diagnosis was combined large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of a component of squamous cell carcinoma [pT4 (pm) N2M0]. The patient received concurrent chemoradiotherapy due to upper mediastinal lymph node metastasis 4 months after surgery. The chemoradiotherapy well responded and the patient remains well 9 months after surgery.     

Collision cancer of squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma of the lung; report of a case

We report a rare case of a primary collision cancer in the lung consisting of squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma. A 65-year-old man with an abnormal shadow in the right S6 was diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma by transbronchial lung biopsy. A right lower lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed. The pathological stage of squamous cell carcinoma was IIIA (T2N2M0). The other element diagnosed by pathological examination was small cell carcinoma of which pathological stage was IA (T1N0M0). Each element was clearly distinguished and touched each other. Following the operation, the patient received systemic chemotherapy against small cell carcinoma with cisplatin and irinotecan hydrochloride for 1 course, and cisplatin and etoposide for 3 courses. Since the prognosis of collision cancer is generally reported to be influenced by more advanced element of cancer, the prognosis of the present case is suspected to be dependent on the squamous cell carcinoma.     

Double primary lung carcinoma consisting of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma: report of a case.

We report a rare case of double primary lung carcinoma including large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC). A 67-year-old man underwent an annual medical checkup in 2000, pulmonary carcinoma was strongly suspected by sputum cytology and radiological images. Preoperative diagnosis was double primary lung carcinoma with a squamous cell carcinoma in the right lower lobe and non-small cell carcinoma in the right upper lobe. The histological carcinoma type in the right upper lobe could not be determined preoperatively. The patient underwent a right lower lobectomy and wedge resection of the right upper lobe. Histologically, the tumor in the right upper lobe was LCNEC and the tumor in the right lower lobe was a moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The patient had right supraclavicular lymph node metastases of LCNEC and died of multiple pulmonary metastases 10 months after the operation.     

Small cell carcinoma of the prostate with hypercalcemia

We present a case of small cell prostate carcinoma with hypercalcemia in a 75-year-old man. He was diagnosed as having stage T3bN1M0 adenocarcinoma of the prostate. His serum prostate-specific antigen level was reduced to below the normal range after a combination treatment of a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist and flutamide for prostate carcinoma. He subsequently experienced increasing fatigue, poor appetite, short time loss of consciousness and pain in his lower abdomen. His serum calcium level and carcinoembryonic antigen were increased. He died 5 months from the start of treatment. The autopsy revealed small cell carcinoma of the prostate and multiple metastasis of the lung, liver, pancreas, lymph nodes and spine.     

Peripheral small squamous cell carcinoma (9 mm) of the lung with metastasis to mediastinal lymph nodes

A 61-year-old man was pointed out a small peripheral lung nodule and mediastinal lymph node swelling on the chest computed tomography (CT). At the operation, it was diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma and right upper lobectomy and nodal dissection were done. The tumor was 9 mm in size and diagnosed as well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with metastasis to mediastinal lymph nodes. Postoperative radiotherapy was done (50 Gy). The patient is doing well without apparent recurrence 33 months after surgery. We reported a case of peripheral small squamous cell carcinoma (9 mm) of the lung with metastasis to mediastinal lymph nodes.     

Squamous cell carcinoma caused by dysplasia on the bullous wall

We experienced a squamous cell lung carcinoma caused by dysplasia around the bullous wall after right upper lobectomy by tuberculosis. A case is 70 years old male who was resected right upper lobe caused by tuberculosis 50 years ago. He was pointed out an abnormal shadow on the chest X-ray in March 2002. There were bullous change in right lung field on the chest computed tomography (CT). There was appeared a tumor contiguous to the bullous wall. A part of bullous wall surrounding the tumor was thickened bronchio-alveolar lavage gave proof of squamous cell carcinoma. Right basal segmentectomy and subcarinal lymph node dissection was done, because of severe adhesion a right middle lobe. Radiation therapy at the mediastinum is performed, because of positive subcarinal lymph nodes. It is rare case of squamous cell carcinoma caused by dysplasia, we reported.     

Immunohistochemical study of the expression of drug-resistant proteins in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung

OBJECTIVES: In 1999, the World Health Organization categorized pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma as a variant of large cell carcinoma. However, an optimal treatment for large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma has not been established yet. Recently, multimodality therapy combining both surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy has been reported as a useful treatment for large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, but the effect of chemotherapy on it has not yet been fully investigated. Thus, we evaluated immunohistochemical data of the expression of drug-resistant proteins in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. METHODS: We identified 10 large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (1.2%) out of 850 primary lung cancers that had been surgically resected. We examined the immunohistochemical staining of three drug-resistant proteins, namely, P-glycoprotein, metallothionein and glutathione S-transferase-pi to compare large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with other histological types of lung cancer. RESULTS: The mean tumor cell positivity rates for P-glycoprotein, metallothionein and glutathione S-transferase-pi in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma were 0%, 2.4 +/- 3.6% and 35.0 +/- 37.5%, respectively. The positivity rates for P-glycoprotein and glutathione S-transferase-pi were significantly lower than those in adenocarcinoma (P = 0.0003, P = 0.0009). The positivity rate for glutathione S-transferase-pi was also lower than that in squamous cell carcinoma (P = 0.0387). These drug-resistant proteins showed similar expression pattern in both large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell carcinoma except glutathione S-transferase-pi. CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical expression of drug-resistant proteins in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma was lower than that in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and differences exist in drug-resistance between large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell carcinoma.     

Clinicopathologic characteristics of peripheral squamous cell carcinoma of the lung

Squamous cell carcinoma of the lung can be divided into two types according to the location of the primary site: the central type and the peripheral type. The clinicopathologic factors in the peripheral type of lung squamous cell carcinoma have not yet been fully evaluated. A total of 204 surgically resected lung squamous cell carcinomas were reviewed with special reference to their location, histologic characteristics based on tumor growth patterns, and clinicopathologic factors. The central type and the peripheral type accounted for 95 and 109 cases, respectively. Although the patient population of the peripheral type was older, with a lower pathologic stage, lower lymphatic vessel involvement, and lymph node metastasis, the Kaplan-Meier survival proportions did not differ significantly between these two groups. Based on the histologic growth pattern, the peripheral type was classified under three subgroups as follows: 1). the alveolar space-filling type, 2). the expanding type, and 3). the combined type. Among these three types, the alveolar space-filling type showed neither lymphatic vessel invasion nor lymph node metastasis and had the most favorable prognosis. The central and peripheral types of lung squamous cell carcinoma have different clinicopathologic characteristics and should be classified under respectively different categories.     

Immunohistochemical study of the expression of drug-resistant proteins in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung

Objectives: In 1999, the World Health Organization categorized pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma as a variant of large cell carcinoma. However, an optimal treatment for large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma has not been established yet. Recently, multimodality therapy combining both surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy has been reported as a useful treatment for large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, but the effect of chemotherapy on it has not yet been fully investigated. Thus, we evaluated immunohistochemical data of the expression of drug-resistant proteins in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma.Methods: We identified 10 large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (1.2%) out of 850 primary lung cancers that had been surgically resected. We examined the immunohistochemical staining of three drug-resistant proteins, namely, P-glycoprotein, metallothionein and glutathione S-transferase-π to compare large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with othe rhistological types of lung cancer.Results: The mean tumor cell positivity rates for P-glycoprotein, metallothionein and glutathione S-transferase-π in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma were 0 %, 2.4 ±3.6% and 35.0±37.5%, respectively. The positivity rates for P-glycoprotein and glutathione S-transferase-π were significantly lower than those in adenocarcinoma (P=0.0003, P=0.0009). The positivity rate for glutathione S-transferase-π was also lower than that in squamous cell carcinoma (P=0.0387). These drug-resistant proteins showed similar expression pattern in both large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell carcinoma except glutathione S-transferase-π.Conclusion: Immunohistochemical expression of drug-resistant proteins in large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma was lower than that in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, and differences esist in drug-resistance between large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small cell carcinoma.     

Sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma of the penis: a clinical and pathological study of 5 cases

PURPOSE: We analyzed clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical features in 5 cases of sarcomatoid or spindle cell squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical and pathological files of all patients with penile carcinoma treated at our hospital between 1956 and 2002 were reviewed. Cases diagnosed as sarcomatoid squamous cell cancer were selected. RESULTS: Five of 341 patients (1.4%) had sarcomatoid penile carcinoma. Tumor stage was T2N0 in 2 patients, T2N2 in 2 and T4N3 in 1. In all patients partial or total penectomy was eventually performed. Three patients underwent bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy. Four of 5 patients had distant metastatic disease and died within 1 year after diagnosis. One patient had exclusive hematogenous spread without lymph node involvement. Foci of distant metastatic tumor sites were the lung, skin, bone, pericardium and pleura. In 4 patients the diagnosis was based on the expression of keratin filaments in a predominantly spindle cell penile tumor or by the identification of carcinomatous and sarcomatoid areas on hematoxylin and eosin stained slides of the primary tumor. In 1 case a squamous component in a lymph node metastasis rendered the keratin negative spindle cell primary tumor sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma of the penis is a subtype of squamous cell carcinoma with a poor prognosis often associated with wide hematogeneous spread. It is a rare malignancy that is often difficult to diagnose, requiring additional immunohistochemical stains.     

Primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus: Report of a case

A case of esophageal small cell carcinoma successfully treated with combination therapy consisting of both pre- and postoperative chemotherapy as well as surgical resection is presented. A 74-year-old man presented with a small cell carcinoma measuring 11 cm in diameter in the lower half of his thoracic esophagus. After undergoing preoperative chemotherapy with cisplatin (25 mg, iv, days 1 through 5), the gross tumor completely regressed. However, a microscopic focus of residual cancer showing squamous cell carcinoma was found in the resected esophageal specimen. The patient received an additional two courses of postoperative chemotherapy with cisplatin (75 mg, iv monthly). He has since survived more than 9 years with no evidence of recurrent disease. We herein report a rare case of a patient with esophageal small cell carcinoma who demonstrated a complete cure.     

Paratracheal lymph node metastasis is associated with cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: We determined which lymph node metastases were associated with cervical lymph node metastases of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 6464 lymph nodes derived from 155 consecutive patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were stained by immunohistochemistry (antibody: AE1/AE3). Lymph node metastases were mapped according to the mapping scheme of the American Thoracic Society, as modified by Casson et al. (Ann Thorac Surg 1994;58:1569-70). Patients were divided into two groups: those with and without cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM). Mapping data were examined by uni- and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Hematoxylin and eosin-positive and AE1/AE3-positive lymph node metastases were found in 59% and 77% of patients, respectively. Twenty-one (55%) of 38 patients in the CLNM(+) group and 30 (26%) of 117 patients in the CLNM(-) group had AE1/AE3-positive lymph node metastasis in the thoracic paratracheal lymph node. Paratracheal lymph node metastasis is only one independent factor for (CLNM), whereas upper thoracic paraesophageal lymph node and pulmonal hilar lymph node status were also significant in univariate analysis. Three (43%) of seven patients with cervical jumping metastasis from the thoracic esophagus had micrometastasis in the paratracheal lymph node. CONCLUSIONS: The paratracheal lymph node is most associated with (CLNM) of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.     

N1期食管鳞癌淋巴结转移规律及预后分析

目的：探讨N1期食管鳞癌淋巴结转移规律及其与预后的关系。方法回顾性分析2005年1月至2008年12月间天津医科大学肿瘤医院行食管癌根治术且术后病理诊断为N1期（1～2枚淋巴结转移）的126例患者的临床及随访资料,分析各组淋巴结转移情况及其对预后的影响。结果126例患者中仅1枚淋巴结转移者70例,2枚淋巴结转移者56例。上纵隔淋巴结、中下食管旁淋巴结、贲门周围淋巴结和胃左动脉旁淋巴结的早期转移率较高,分别为53．8％（14/26）、38．3％（41/107）、34．5％（30/87）和36．8％（39/106）。隆突下淋巴结转移（P＝0．031）和中下食管旁淋巴结转移（P＝0．042）是影响食管鳞癌早期淋巴结转移患者的独立预后因素。隆突下淋巴结转移者5年生存率明显低于其他部位淋巴结转移者（8％比26％,P＝0．004）;而仅中下食管旁淋巴结转移者5年生存率则明显高于其他部位淋巴结转移者（33％比12％,P＝0．029）。结论 N1期食管鳞癌淋巴结易转移至上纵隔、中下食管旁、贲门周围和胃左动脉旁淋巴结等部位,而隆突下及中下食管旁淋巴结转移是N1期患者的独立预后因素。     

Small cell carcinoma of the cystic duct: A case report

Small cell carcinoma usually involves the lung and rarely affects the biliary tract, especially the cystic duct. In this article we report a case of small cell carcinoma of the cystic duct in a 46-year-old Japanese man. The patient presented with abdominal pain and jaundice. Imaging showed a small nodule in the cystic duct invading the common bile duct with dilatation of the proximal biliary tree. The hepatic artery and portal vein were free from invasion. Extended right hepatic lobectomy, cholecystectomy, and resection of the extrahepatic proximal bile ducts were performed together with lymph node dissection under the tentative diagnosis of carcinoma of the cystic duct. Histopathologic examination of the resected specimen revealed small cell carcinoma arising in the cystic duct and extending into the common bile duct. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful, and the patient is doing well without any signs of recurrence 1 year after the operation. To our knowledge this is the first documented case of a small cell carcinoma arising in the cystic duct.     

21-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung

Lung cancer among people in their twenties is rare and accounts for only 0.1-0.4% of all cases. We describe a case of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in a 21-year-old man. The otherwise healthy patient presented with a 1 month history of cough. Chest radiography showed a well-defined round mass 5 cm in size in the right lower lobe. Computed tomography also showed a 3 cm hilar lymph node. Bronchoscopy revealed a white polypoid mass obstructing the right basal bronchus. Transbronchial biopsy revealed poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Clinical diagnosis was T2N1M0, stage IIB lung cancer. Right lower lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed. Lymph node metastases were proven histologically in the pretracheal, subcarinal, hilar, and intrapulmonary regions. Pathological diagnosis was T2N2M0, stage IIIA lung cancer. Endobronchial and mediastinal lymph node metastases were found 2 months after surgery. He received 3 rounds of chemotherapy with cisplatin and docetaxel and irradiation to the right hilum and mediastinum at a total dose of 60 Gy in 30 fractions. He is alive 6 months after surgery.     

Squamous cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter: incidence, symptoms, treatment and outcome

PURPOSE: Squamous cell carcinomas of the renal pelvis and ureter are rare. We report a large series of patients and compare it to patients with urothelial carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The initial material was comprised of 808 patients with renal pelvis or ureteral cancer. A review of the histopathological material and clinical records was performed. RESULTS: Only 2 (4%) of 65 patients with squamous cell carcinoma had stage pTa/pT1/pT2 tumors compared to 460 (62%) of 743 patients with urothelial carcinoma. Median survival was much shorter for surgically treated patients with squamous cell carcinoma compared to those with urothelial carcinoma (7 vs 50 months). However, there was no significant difference in the disease specific 5-year survival rate between patients with squamous cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma in the same disease stage. Vascular invasion, microscopic solid tumor pattern and large tumor size had negative prognostic significance in multivariate analyses. Histopathological tumor type (squamous cell carcinoma or urothelial carcinoma) had no prognostic significance. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis for squamous cell carcinoma is poor, but stage for stage the prognosis is not different between patients with urothelial carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and ureter. It can be presumed that high stage squamous cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma become symptomatic first at a time when the tumors already are large, deeply invasive and most often incurable. New treatment modalities are urgently needed to improve the poor prognosis in patients with advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.     

Expression of heat shock protein 70 in grossly resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to use immunohistochemical methods to clarify the clinical implication of heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and to investigate the function of HSP70 as a chaperone for p53. METHODS: Seventy-one patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were admitted in the present study. Expression of HSP70 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and correlated with TNM classification, vessel invasion, p53 expression, and clinical outcome after operation. RESULTS: Overexpression of HSP70 was related to sex (p < 0.05), tumor configuration (p < 0.05), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.01), and lymphatic vessel invasion (p < 0.05). Expression of p53 and HSP70 were not correlated with each other (p = 0.824). Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with HSP70 expression exhibited a significantly better prognosis compared with HSP70-negative esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in univariate analysis (p < 0.05), but no significance was found in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that HSP70 expression might be of use to assess the progression, lymph node metastasis, and lymphatic vessel invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Inasmuch as both lymph node metastasis and HSP70 expression are prognostic variables in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, examination of HSP70 expression may be of use to assess clinical outcome after operation.     

Clear cell carcinoma of the lung

We present here in the case of a patient who underwent resection of clear cell carcinoma of the lung, a rare histological type. A screening test of the 71-yearold woman revealed a 2.0-cm lesion in S4 of the right lung with a diagnosis of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma before resection. Under the guidance of video-assisted thoracoscopy, right middle lobe resection and mediastinal lymph node dissection were performed. The histopathological examination showed clear, slightly acidophilic tumor cells rich in fine granular components proliferating in an alveolar fashion. Immunostaining was diagnostically useful, distinguishing clear cell carcinoma from lung metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma or clear cell squamous cell carcinoma.