Small cell carcinoma of the prostate: Three case reports and a literature review

Abstract

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) of the prostate is a high-grade malignant neoplasm with neuroendocrine differentiation and accounts for only 0.5–2% of all prostate cancers. From 2005 to 2010, there were a total of three cases of SCC at our hospital. The disease onset age was 61, 74, and 84 years, respectively. Initial presentations include urinary difficulty, bone pain, and gross hematuria. One patient had mixed tumors of both SCC and adenocarcinoma, and two had prior adenocarcinomas that recurred as SCC. The diagnosis of SCC was all made via transurethral resection. Two patients died of their diseases 7 and 15 months after diagnosis, and one survived for more than 65 months. The serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) was 1660 ng/mL, 72.8 ng/mL, and 35.7 ng/mL before definitive diagnosis. Notably, the only surviving patient was diagnosed with SCC after the transurethral resection of prostate because of the presence of lower urinary tract symptoms. The serum PSA prior to the operation was 0.11 ng/mL, and he received chemotherapy with 5 courses of cisplatin and VP-16. Palliative transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) not only solved the obstructive symptoms of voiding but helped in removing the prostate tissue, which might have the SCC component in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma under androgen deprivation therapy.