Neuroendocrine Cancer of the Prostate

Pathol Oncol Res. 2020 Jul;26(3):1447-1450. doi: 10.1007/s12253-019-00712-2. Epub 2019 Aug 14.

Abstract

Neuroendocrine cancer of the prostate is considered to be a rare entity with bad prognosis and limited therapeutic options. We performed a prospective analysis of the patients treated in our hospital for prostate cancer between 1st January 2015 and 31rd December 2018. Neuroendocrine phenomena were tested by immunohistochemistry and laboratory chemistry on the request of the clinicians in the cases when a positive diagnosis was suspected. Clinical tableaux of high suspicion of neuroendocrine cancer included radiological progression of a metastatic disease without PSA rise, relatively extended metastatic disease associated to a low PSA, disease with non-pulmonary visceral metastases. 10 patients were diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumour out of 521 prostate cancers. Half of the patients had a survival over a year. 3 patients received 3 lines of efficacious palliative chemotherapy. 1 patient underwent prostatectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for a localised disease. The incidence of neuroendocrine tumours among prostate cancer patients was higher than expected. Some of the patients had a relatively good outcome.

Keywords: Immunohistochemistry; Neuroendocrine; Platinum; Prostate cancer; Serum marker.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuroendocrine Tumors / epidemiology
  • Neuroendocrine Tumors / pathology*
  • Neuroendocrine Tumors / therapy
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / therapy