Effective use of gemcitabine in the treatment of undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells of the pancreas with portal vein tumor thrombus

Intern Med. 2012;51(16):2145-50. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.51.7670. Epub 2012 Aug 15.

Abstract

A 74-year-old woman had an undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCWOGC) in the body of the pancreas with massive portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Because the PVTT progressed so rapidly into the right portal branch, the patient first underwent distal pancreatectomy and tumor thrombectomy to prevent life-threatening portal venous obstruction. Although a recurrent PVTT had developed early postoperatively, systemic gemcitabine treatment was so effective that it induced complete remission 5 months after the initiation of chemotherapy. The patient continued to be in complete response for 12 months, and has survived for 19 months since surgery.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / therapeutic use*
  • Carcinoma / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma / pathology
  • Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Deoxycytidine / therapeutic use
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Gemcitabine
  • Giant Cells / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Pancreatectomy
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / blood
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Portal Vein*
  • Remission Induction
  • Thrombectomy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Venous Thrombosis / diagnosis
  • Venous Thrombosis / pathology
  • Venous Thrombosis / surgery*

Substances

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Gemcitabine