Diagnosis and Management of Primary Prostatic Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma: Single-Center Experience

The purpose of the study was to retrospectively summarize the diagnosis and management of 10 primary prostatic signet ring cell carcinoma (PPSRCC) cases in our center. Ten PPSRCC patients diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2014 to December 2020 were included. Clinical characteristics, image features, therapeutic procedures, histological diagnosis, and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received prostate-specific antigen (PSA) examination preoperatively. Nine of them accepted multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) due to elevated PSA value, and further biopsied. Among them, five patients were diagnosed as prostatic adenocarcinoma and the other four cases were found a mixture of signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) and adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, gastrointestinal endoscope and abdominal computed tomography (CT) did not find SRCC originating in gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, these cases were considered to be PPSRCC. Nine patients accepted laparoscopic or robot-assisted RP. Only one patient with normal PSA adopted transurethral resection of the prostate. Postoperative pathological results confirmed SRCC mixed with prostatic adenocarcinoma in nine cases, and only one patient with pure SRCC. After surgery, nine patients received adjuvant hormone therapy, one of which accepted radiotherapy simultaneously. The patient with pure SRCC did not accept any adjuvant therapy postoperatively. During a mean follow-up of 31.9 months, only four patients were alive without disease progression. In summary, PPSRCC is a rare malignant tumor with few specific symptoms, rapid disease progression, and poor prognosis and is frequently accompanied by high-grade prostate adenocarcinoma patterns. There is still no clear and effective strategy to improve the prognosis.