Small cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx

Small cell carcinoma is predominantly found in the lung and only about 5% of small cell carcinoma cases have been noted to be extrapulmonary; these are commonly found in the esophagus, pancreas, skin, uterus, and breast. A head and neck origin for small cell carcinoma is extremely rare. Both pulmonary and extrapulmonary small cell carcinomas usually have a good response to chemotherapy initially, but a poor prognosis finally. We report here a case of small cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx. The patient underwent chemotherapy and irradiation for the disease, but died of lung metastasis 38 months later.

[1]  E. Galanis,et al.  Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma , 1997, Cancer.

[2]  M. Wax,et al.  Small Cell Carcinoma of the Tonsil , 1995, Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

[3]  S. Remick,et al.  Extrapulmonary Small‐Cell Carcinoma: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE WITH EMPHASIS ON THERAPY AND OUTCOME , 1987, Medicine.

[4]  N. Ibrahim,et al.  Extrapulmonary oat cell carcinoma , 1984, Cancer.

[5]  H. Braine,et al.  Primary small cell carcinoma of the paranasal sinuses. , 1983, Archives of otolaryngology.

[6]  J. Minna,et al.  Small cell carcinoma presenting as an extrapulmonary neoplasm: sites of origin and response to chemotherapy. , 1981, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[7]  C. Coltman,et al.  Primary oat cell carcinoma of the larynx. A case report and review of the literature , 1979, Cancer.