[Mitomycin-C-sensitive carcinoid tumor of the gallbladder: report of a case]

A case of carcinoid tumor of the gallbladder, which was sensitive to mitomycin-C is reported. A 49-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with a 2-month history of epigastralgia. He underwent right extended lobectomy of the liver, pancreaticoduodenectomy and lymph node dissection. Histology revealed a carcinoid tumor of the gallbladder with invasion of the liver and lymph node metastasis. About 2 months after the operation, right supraclavicular lymph node metastasis was detected and CT scan revealed abdominal paraaortic lymph node metastasis. The patient was given cis-platinum, but the right supraclavicular lymph node metastasis increased in size and number. After administration of mitomycin-C, the paraaortic lymph node metastasis disappeared. Carcinoid tumor obtained from the right supraclavicular lesion was inoculated into BALB/c nude mice, and sensitivity to anticancer drugs was assayed. This carcinoid tumor was sensitive to mitomycin-C but not to cisplatinum, adriamycin, or nimustine.