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.
Keywords: Chemotherapy; small cell carcinoma of the prostate; radiotherapy
