Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is a type of undifferentiated, malignant neuroendocrine tumor. Most of neuroendocrine tumors exhibit well-differentiated features and are classified as carcinoid tumors. However, carcinomas of the liver with anaplastic characters, which are classified as small-cell carcinomas are extremely rare and only few cases have been reported in the literature. We report an unusual case of primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the liver in a 67-year-old man. The patient was found to have a palpable mass on right upper quadrant of abdomen on physical examination. The diagnosis was made by immunohistochemical stains of biopsied specimen from the liver. Other possible primary site was excluded by radiologic and endoscopic evaluations. The tumor was composed of small monotonous and hyperchromatic poorly differentiated cells with higher nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio, and were positive for neuroendocrine tissue markers such as synaptophysin, c-kit, and CD56.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine/*diagnosis/pathology ; Carcinoma, Small Cell/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Male

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Male ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology

No abstract available.
*Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine/diagnosis/pathology ; Female ; Human ; *Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology ; Middle Aged

Carcinoid Tumor ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Ear, Middle ; Humans ; Pharynx

Adult ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Ear Canal ; pathology ; Ear, Middle ; pathology ; Humans ; Male

Some breast neoplasms are classified as primary neuroendocrine carcinomas because they are positive for neuroendocrine markers. Although neuroendocrine carcinomas can originate from various organs of the body, primary neuroendocrine carcinomas of the breast are extremely rare. The diagnosis of primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast can only be made if nonmammary sites are confidently excluded or if an in situ component can be found. Here we report a primary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNL) involving the left breast. Breast ultrasonography revealed a lobulated, heterogeneous, low-echoic mass in the left breast, and the lesion ap-peared as a well-defined, highly-enhancing mass on a chest computed tomography scan. Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy was performed on the mass, and primary LCNC was confirmed by histopathologic examination.
Adult ; Breast Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/ultrasonography ; Carcinoma, Large Cell/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the stomach.

METHODSTwenty-three poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas of the stomach were treated in the Department of Abdominal Surgery at the Cancer Hospital, Fudan University between January 1996 and December 2007. Clinicopathological characteristics and survival data were analyzed.

RESULTSPoorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas of the stomach accounted for 0.52% of all the gastric carcinomas. The tumor occurred more often in males (18 of 23), older patients (mean age of 62 years), upper third of the stomach (16 of 24,one patient had more than one lesion) with large size (mean diameter of 6.8 cm). TNM stages were as follows: stage II in 3 patients, stage III in 12, and stage IIII in 8. Thirteen patients underwent curative resection, while 8 underwent palliative resection and 2 others underwent exploratory laparotomy with biopsy. Of the 21 surgical resection specimens, vascular invasion was found in 18 patients (85.7%), perineural invasion in 16 patients (76.2%), and regional lymph node metastasis in 17 patients (81.0%). Follow up time ranged from 3 to 63 months. Mean overall survival time was 17.7 months. The 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year survival rates were 47.8%, 19.1%, and 4.3%, respectively. Statistically significant differences in survival curves were observed which were related to tumor staging and surgery type, but not related to gender, age, tumor location, or diameter.

CONCLUSIONSPoorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas of the stomach are rare and with poor prognosis. Tumor stage and surgical type have potential impact on survival.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the colon can be classified into small cell carcinoma and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. The incidence of neuroendocrine carcinoma is so low that the guideline for the treatment of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the colon are not established. The prognosis of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the colon is worse than that of conventional adenocarcinoma of the colon. We report a case of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the colon that treated with right hemicolectomy and 6th sequential combination chemotherapy of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. There has been no evidence of the recurrence or metastasis of tumor for 6 months.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Large Cell/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Colonic Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/radiography ; Colonoscopy ; Humans ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors of gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms(gNENs).

METHODSClinicopathologic data of 104 patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms admitted in Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 2000 and December 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Tumor proliferation activity classification (G1, G2 and G3) and TNM staging were observed. The clinicopathologic features of the whole group were collected and the univariate and multivariate analysis were determined by Log-rank and Cox proportional hazard model to detect the prognosis-determining features.

RESULTSOf all the patients, 66 cases(63.5%) were neuroendocrine carcinoma, 25 cases(24.0%) were mixed adenoendocrine carcinoma and 12 cases (11.5%) were neuroendocrine tumor. For G grades, 92 cases (88.5%) were G3 grade, 8 cases(7.7%) were G2 grade and 4 cases (3.8%) were G1 grade. TNM staging results showed that stageI( was found in 6 cases (5.8%), stageII(A in 6 cases (5.8%), stageII(B in 9 cases (8.7%), stage III(A in 8 cases (7.7%), stage III(B in 55 cases (52.9%) and stageIIII( in 20 cases (19.2%). For T stage, 7 cases (6.7%) were T1, 12 cases (11.5%) were T2, 24 cases (23.1%) were T3, and 61 cases (58.7%) were T4. Lymph node metastasis occurred in 73 cases (70.2%) and distant metastasis occurred in 20 cases(19.2%). Eighty-six patients were followed up for 6 to 186 months. The median survival was 33.0 months(95% CI: 28.3 to 36.6), and 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 80%, 49% and 31%. Clinicopathologic features which were considered statistically significant on univariate analysis were selected to Cox proportional hazard model. Univariate analysis showed that risk factors of reducing survival rate included tumor size, pathological type, proliferation activity grades, and depth of invasion (all P<0.05), as well as chromogranin A expression, tumor staging, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis(all P<0.01). The multivariate analysis showed that the stage of gNEN was the independent risk factor of the prognosis (RR=14.213, 95% CI: 1.316 to 153.524, P=0.029).

CONCLUSIONLate staging is the main clinical feature and a prognostic factor for gNENs.

Carcinoma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathological features, treatment, and prognosis of gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma and gastric carcinoma with neuroendocrine cell differentiation.

METHODSA total of 19 patients were treated for gastric neuroendocrine cancer or gastric cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation in the Beijing Cancer Hospital from January 1997 to December 2008. Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSFourteen patients had neuroendocrine carcinoma in the gastric cardia (n=9) or gastric body(n=5), and 5 patients had gastric cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation in the gastric cardia(n=2), the antrum(n=2), and the entire stomach(n=1). According to the International Classification of Disease for Oncology(2000), patients were divided into gastric carcinoid type I((n=2, 10.5%), type III( sporadic gastric carcinoid (n=9, 47.4%), small cell carcinoma of the stomach(n=3,15.8%), and gastric cancer with neuroendocrine cell differentiation(n=5, 26.3%). Clinical manifestations were mostly non-specific. Diagnosis was based on pathological and immunohistochemical examination. Eighteen patients underwent surgery including radical subtotal gastrectomy and total gastrectomy, of whom 3 underwent simultaneous resection of the liver metastasis. The remaining one patient with small cell carcinoma of the gastric body received chemotherapy alone because of unresectable liver metastasis. The survival rate was 73.7% at 1 year and 38.6% at 3 years.

CONCLUSIONSGastric neuroendocrine carcinoma usually develops in the cardia and body of the stomach. Gastric carcinoma with neuroendocrine cell differentiation can occur in any locations of the stomach. Immunohistochemistry is important to the diagnosis. Radical resection is the main treatment.

Aged ; Carcinoid Tumor ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy