Small cell carcinoma of the prostate: case report and a review of the literature

Small cell carcinoma of the prostate is a very rare and aggressive tumor, which accounts for 0.5-2% of all prostate carcinomas. Signs and symptoms include obstructive, neurologic and constitutional symptoms like bone pain, abdominal pain, hematochezia, and hematuria later followed by symptoms of paraneoplastic syndromes like ectopic ACTH secretion and inappropriate ADH secretion and myasthenic syndrome. Approximately, 75% of patients have advanced disease at diagnosis. The small number of patients in the literature prevents a consensus for an optimal treatment option. Because small cell carcinomas of the prostate and lung are identical, treatment options are similar. Chemotherapy is the mainstay of the treatment. Cisplatin/etoposide chemotherapy is frequently used. External radiotherapy is used with combination chemotherapy for local control in the limited disease, as well as for palliation in extensive disease. This report describes management of a 76- year-old patient with an advanced stage small cell carcinoma of the prostate in light of the reviewed literature.