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Published on: April 29, 2014

A case of small cell carcinoma of the kidney

Makito Miyake1, Kiyohide Fujimoto, Masahiro Tanaka

  • 1The Department of Urology, Nara Medical University.

Hinyokika Kiyo. Acta Urologica Japonica
|May 23, 2007
PubMed

Insights

This case study details a rare renal small cell carcinoma treated with combination chemotherapy, showing a favorable prognosis despite advanced disease. Further research on this aggressive cancer is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Nephrology

Background:

  • Small cell carcinoma of the kidney is an extremely rare and aggressive extrapulmonary malignancy.
  • Extrapulmonary small cell carcinomas generally exhibit poorer prognoses than their pulmonary counterparts.

Observation:

  • A 47-year-old male presented with a large retroperitoneal renal tumor diagnosed as small cell carcinoma via CT-guided biopsy.
  • Immunohistochemistry confirmed tumor cells expressing neural cell adhesion molecule.

Findings:

  • The patient received first-line chemotherapy (cisplatin, etoposide, ifosphamide) with partial response of the primary tumor and complete response of liver metastasis.
  • Second-line chemotherapy (cisplatin, irinotecan) achieved complete response of nodal metastasis.
  • Salvage chemotherapy showed limited efficacy against refractory disease, with death occurring 32 months post-presentation due to local progression.

Implications:

  • Combination chemotherapy demonstrated a more favorable prognosis than anticipated for advanced renal small cell carcinoma.
  • Multidisciplinary treatment approaches and further case accumulation are crucial for understanding and improving outcomes in this rare neoplasm.

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