[A Case of Long Survival in Aggressively Growing Small Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder Successfully Treated by Combined Chemotherapy of Methotrexate, Etoposide and Cisplatin].

ABSTRACT

A 74-year-old man underwent transurethral resection for a bladder tumor (TURBT). The pathological diagnosis was urothelial carcinoma, grade 3 pT2 at least. He desired preservation of the bladder. Thus, MEC (methotrexate 100-150 mg/body (day 1), etoposide 100 mg/m2 (day 2-4), cisplatin 20 mg/m2 (day 2-6)) chemotherapy was administered for 2 courses. The next year, he had a relapse in the bladder, and the pathological diagnosiswasurothelial carcinoma, grade 2 pTa and pTis. He underwent Calmette-Guerin Bacillus (BCG) immunotherapy for 6 courses that resulted in a complete response without recurrence for 6 years. Six months after the latest examination, he complained of difficulty in voiding. An 8 cm tumor in the bladder and enlargement of obturator lymph node were detected. The pathological diagnosis by TURBT was small cell carcinoma. He rejected cystectomy, so we applied MEC therapy again. After 2 courses of MEC therapy, the bladder tumor and lymphadenopathy markedly shrunk in image and almost disappeared subsequently. The patient refused further therapy, but he had been followed without recurrence for 48 monthsafter the chemotherapy.