A case of small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix

Seong, Hee Jin; Kim, Ju Youn; Lee, Sang Min; Do, Young Rok; Song, Hong Suk

Abstract

Small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is a rare malignancy representing less than 5% of all cases of cervical carcinoma. It is clinically characterized by frequent early nodal and distant metastasis. Survival is relatively poor with hysterectomy alone. Currently, there is no consensus for the optimal management of small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Most patients are treated with a multimodality approach, using chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We treated a 32-year-old woman with primary small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The pelvic MR imaging showed a 3 cm mass in the uterine cervix and no evidence of other abnormalities in the adnexa. The patient treated with a radical hysterectomy alone and adjuvant therapy was not provided. Five months later, the patient had recurrent disease with multiple bone and liver metastases. We treated the patient with cisplatin and etoposide combination chemotherapy. Here we report the case of a primary small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix with rapid progression after surgical treatment alone and review the medical literature.