Clinicopathological characteristics and outcome of patients with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix: case series and literature review.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinicopathological data of 13 cases of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC) of the uterine cervix who received treatment at this medical institutions over the past five years with patient survival as the primary endpoint.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinicopathologic data of 13 cases were reviewed. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against synaptophysin and chromogranin A and Ki-67. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests.

RESULTS

The median age of these patients was 37 years (range 21-62). Immunohistochemistry showed that the positive rate of synaptophysin and chromogranin A was 100% (13/13) and 69.23% (9/13), respectively. The median survival of patients with early-Stage I-II SCNEC of the uterine cervix (17.5 months) was significantly higher than that of patients with advanced stage SCNEC of the uterine cervix (four months) (p < 0.05). There was no local recurrence in all 13 patients. Five patients died of distant metastasis in less than six months.

CONCLUSION

SCNEC of the uterine cervix is a highly-malignant disease and early-stage patients showed significantly longer survival compared to late-stage patients. Early diagnosis and prompt combination treatment may improve the outcome of patients with SCNEC of the uterine cervix.