Pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a high-grade neuroendocrine tumor with unique characteristics, and its treatment regimens are primarily derived from those for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In recent years, the incidence rate has been on the rise, and the prognosis are affected by the interaction of multiple factors such as individual, clinical stage and treatment mode, and the heterogeneity is significant. In the study of molecular subtypes, multiple subgroups were divided according to key gene mutations such as RB1 and TP53, and genomic subtypes were associated with survival, chemotherapy response, and efficacy of precision therapy. Targeted therapy excavates multiple targets, and the efficacy of drugs is different. Immunotherapy has made remarkable progress, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been effective in all stages of chemotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, but there is a risk of hyperprogressive diseases, and accurate prognostic markers need to be explored urgently. This review reviews the latest research progress in the study of molecular subtypes and precision therapies such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy of pulmonary LCNEC, and points out that pulmonary LCNEC treatment will develop in the direction of precision and individualization in the future.
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Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine/drug therapy* ; Precision Medicine ; Immunotherapy ; Carcinoma, Large Cell/drug therapy*

Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine/surgery* ; Female ; Humans ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the endometrium is a rare, aggressive subtype of endometrial cancer. We report a 61-year-old female with a history of breast cancer, s/p modified radical mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal (tamoxifen) therapy, who presented with post-menopausal bleeding. Patient underwent TAH-BSO with lymph node dissection, and was diagnosed with a mixed small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), confirmed by positive immunohistochemical staining for neuroendocrine markers. No other lesions were identified on PET-CT, making a primary endometrial NEC the most likely diagnosis. We review the clinical and pathologic characteristics of endometrial neuroendocrine carcinomas.
Endometrial Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Carcinoma, Small Cell

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a retrospective, multi-institutional, collaborative study to accumulate cases of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium, to clarify its clinicopathologic features, treatment, prognosis and prognostic factors to collate findings to establish future individualized treatment regimens. To our knowledge, this is the largest case study and the first study to statistically analyze the prognosis of this disease. METHODS: At medical institutions participating in the Kansai Clinical Oncology Group/Intergroup, cases diagnosed at a central pathologic review as neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium between 1995 and 2014 were enrolled. We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathologic features, treatment, prognosis and prognostic factors of this disease. RESULTS: A total of 65 cases were registered from 18 medical institutions in Japan. Of these, 42 (64.6%) cases were diagnosed as neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium based on the central pathological review and thus included in the study. Advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages (stage III and IV) and pure type small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma cases had a significantly worse prognosis. Upon multivariate analysis, only histologic subtypes and surgery were significant prognostic factors. Pure type cases had a significantly worse prognosis compared to mixed type cases and complete surgery cases had a significantly better prognosis compared to cases with no or incomplete surgery. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that complete surgery improves the prognosis of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium. Even among cases with advanced disease stages, if complete surgery is expected to be achieved, clinicians should consider curative surgery to improve the prognosis of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium.
Carcinoma, Large Cell ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Endometrium ; Female ; Gynecology ; Japan ; Medical Oncology ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obstetrics ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

A primary hepatic lymphoma (PHL) is a rare malignancy; misdiagnosis and mistreatment are very common. We report the case of a 56-year-old female who presented with a 2-week history of upper abdominal pain. She exhibited no risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and her serum tumor marker levels were normal. A computed tomography scan and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the liver revealed multiple liver masses, suggestive of multiple liver and lung metastases or an intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with lung metastasis. A diagnosis of PHL (a diffuse large B cell lymphoma) was confirmed by biopsy followed by immunohistochemistry. This case emphasizes that a PHL must be considered in the differential diagnosis of space-occupying liver lesions in patients with no risk factors for HCC and normal levels of serum tumor markers. It is notable that neither B cell lymphoma symptoms nor an elevated lactate dehydrogenase level were apparent in this case. We thus report a case of PHL mimicking multiple liver metastases or an intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and we review the literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholangiocarcinoma* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Liver Neoplasms ; Liver* ; Lung ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to present the ultrasonographic (US) features of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the thyroid gland and to evaluate the diagnostic utility of fineneedle aspiration (FNA) and core needle biopsy (CNB). METHODS: Eight patients with nine metastatic RCC nodules in the thyroid glands who were treated from January 2002 to March 2015 in a single tertiary hospital were consecutively selected and retrospectively reviewed. US features and clinical history were obtained from the institution's medical database. FNA was performed nine times on eight nodules and CNB was performed six times on six nodules. The diagnostic utility of FNA and CNB was evaluated. RESULTS: All nine nodules showed mass formation without diffuse thyroid involvement. On ultrasonography, metastatic RCC nodules were solid (100%), hypoechoic (100%), and oval-shaped nodules with a well-defined smooth margin (88.9%) and increased vascularity (100%, with 55% showing extensive vascularity). No calcifications were noted in any nodules. Lymph node metastasis and direct extension to nearby structures beyond the thyroid gland were not found. One FNA (11%) was able to confirm metastatic RCC, whereas all six CNBs confirmed metastatic RCC. CONCLUSION: Metastatic RCC appears as oval-shaped hypoechoic solid nodules with well-defined smooth margins, no calcifications, and increased vascularity on ultrasonography. Characteristic US features along with a previous history of RCC should raise clinical suspicion, and CNB should be performed to make an accurate diagnosis.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle* ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Thyroid Gland* ; Ultrasonography

CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD) represent a spectrum of T-cell lymphoma including lymphomatoid papulosis and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Epidermis overlying cutaneous CD30+ LPD often shows epidermal hyperplasia, hyperkeratosis, crusting, and ulceration and it is difficult to distinguish from carcinoma such as keratoacanthoma (KA) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Several cases of pseudocarcinomatous hyperplasia mimicking KA or SCC in CD30+ LPD have been reported. The relationship between CD30+ LPD and epithelial proliferations has not yet well understood. It was reported that a variety of mediators, including epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-α and EGFR from CD30+ LPD could attribute to epidermal hyperplasia. However, separate and distinct SCC occurring in CD30+ LPD has rarely been reported. Herein, we present a rare case of coexistence of SCC and cutaneous ALCL located on the same region.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Epidermis ; Epithelial Cells* ; Hyperplasia ; Keratoacanthoma ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic ; Lymphoma, Primary Cutaneous Anaplastic Large Cell* ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; Lymphomatoid Papulosis ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Ulcer

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of differentiation of lymphoma, metastatic lymph nodes of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in the head and neck by single-source dual-energy spectral CT.

METHODS25 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with 236 lymph nodes, 3 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) with 32 lymph nodes, 21 cases of SCC with 86 lymph nodes and 19 cases of PTC with 92 lymph nodes were evaluated by enhanced GSI. CT attenuation of lymph nodes in the monochromatic images at different keV levels and the iodine and water contents of these lymph nodes were measured. The slope of spectral curve was calculated using CT value at 40 keVand 90 keV. All results were analyzed with ANOVA and t test.

RESULTS70 keV had the best single energy images. Normalized Hounsfield unit (NHU) of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), T lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL), HL, PTC and SCC was 0.32 ± 0.10, 0.46 ± 0.08, 0.41 ± 0.11, 0.41 ± 0.11, 0.56 ± 0.15 and 0.34 ± 0.16, respectively. Normalized iodine concentration (NIC) of them was 0.20 ± 0.08, 0.32 ± 0.08, 0.25 ± 0.09, 0.30 ± 0.12, 0.49 ± 0.18 and 0.23 ± 0.18, respectively. The slope of spectral curve (k) of them was -1.92 ± 0.55, -2.45 ± 0.60, -1.82 ± 0.57, -2.57 ± 0.54, -5.44 ± 2.41 and -1.97 ± 0.81, respectively. Compared with the NHU, there was a statistically significant difference in each pair except DLBCL and SCC, and T-LBL and HL. Compared with the NIC, there was a statistically significant difference in each pair except DLBCL and SCC, FL and HL, T-LBL and SCC, and T-LBL and HL. Compared with the slope of spectral curve, there was statistically significant difference in each pair except DLBCL and T-LBL, DLBCL and SCC, FL and HL, and T-LBL and SCC.

CONCLUSIONSMalignant lymph nodes of different types of diseases have certain different values of quantitative parameters in spectral CT imaging. By using CT attenuation, the shape and slope of spectral curve and the iodine content, single-source dual-energy CT may potentially provide a quantitative analysis tool for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of lymph node alterations.

Carcinoma ; diagnostic imaging ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnostic imaging ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Hodgkin Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; diagnostic imaging ; Lymphoma ; diagnostic imaging ; Lymphoma, Follicular ; diagnostic imaging ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; diagnostic imaging ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; diagnostic imaging ; Neck ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo explore the value of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) before treatment in predicting brain metastases and prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSA total of 128 hospitalized patients with advanced NSCLC from Jan 2012 to Mar 2012 were followed up, and their clinicopathological data, serum NSE, carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin 21-1 (cyfra21-1) levels, albumin (ALB), white blood cell (WBC) before treatment were analyzed retrospectively to determine the factors affecting brain metastasis and prognosis of advanced NSCLC.

RESULTSAmong the 128 NSCLC patients, 90 cases were of adenocarcinoma, 30 cases were of squamous cell carcinoma, and 8 cases were of large cell carcinoma. The median levels of pre-treatment NSE, CEA and cyfra21-1 were 13.6 ng/ml, 7.8 ng/ml and 6.1 ng/ml, respectively. The average levels of ALB and WBC were (35.41 ± 5.60) g/L and (8.16 ± 2.53) × 10⁹/ml, respectively. Multi-variate logistic regression analysis showed that serum NSE before treatment was associated with brain metastasis of advanced NSCLC (P = 0.030). Pre-treatment NSE levels were (34.18 ± 28.48) ng/ml in 28 patients with brain metastasis and (13.87 ± 4.49) ng/ml in 98 patients without brain metastasis (P < 0.05). The median survival time were 3.5 months in patients with normal levels of NSE, and 10.7 months in patients with elevated levels of NSE pre-treatment (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSA higher pre-treatment level of NSE is closely correlated with brain metastasis of advanced NSCLC, and can be used as a predictor of brain metastases in advanced NSCLC. High pre-treatment levels of NSE indicate a poor prognosis in advanced NSCLC patients.

Adenocarcinoma ; blood ; enzymology ; secondary ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; blood ; Brain Neoplasms ; secondary ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; blood ; Carcinoma, Large Cell ; blood ; enzymology ; secondary ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood ; enzymology ; secondary ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood ; enzymology ; secondary ; Humans ; Keratin-19 ; blood ; Leukocyte Count ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; enzymology ; pathology ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; blood ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo analyze the prognostic factors of cervical lymph node metastasis (CLN) in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC), and to probe and verify the esophageal carcinoma staging of the 7th edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging system.

METHODSA total of 1 715 TESCC patients underwent radical esophagectomy plus three-field lymph node dissection at Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital between January 1993 and March 2007. 547 patients had pathological metastasis of CLN, and 296 patients received surgery only (S group) and 251 patients received postoperative radiotherapy (S+R group). The prognostic factors were analyzed and the pattern of recurrence and metastases was studied according to the esophageal carcinoma staging criteria of the 7th edition of AJCC TNM staging system.

RESULTSThe metastasis rate of CLN was 31.9% for the entire group, 44.2%, 31.5% and 14.4% for the upper, middle and lower TESCC, respectively (P < 0.001). The 5-year overall survival rate of the patients with metastatic CLN was 27.7%, and the median overall survival time was 27.5 months. The 5-year survival rate was 21.3% in the S group and 34.2% in the S+R group, and the median survival time was 21.9 months in the S group and 35.4 months in the S+R group (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that gender, lesion length in X-ray, N stage, AJCC stage and treatment modality were independent prognostic factors of CLN metastasis in TESCC. Independent prognostic factors for S group included the primary tumor site, pT stage, N stage and AJCC stage, and N stage was an independent prognostic factor for the S+R group.

CONCLUSIONSTESCC with CLN metastasis have a better prognosis after surgery. It supports that cervical lymph nodes belong to regional lymph nodes classified in the 7th edition of AJCC TNM staging system.

Carcinoma ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnosis ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Esophagectomy ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; diagnosis ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; diagnosis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neck ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; diagnosis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate