Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas responsive to combination therapy with gemcitabine and S-1

Abstract

Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma is a very rare malignancy, but it is characterized by agressive histological features and a poor clinical prognosis. We report a 42-year-old man who had poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas with multiple liver metastases. We administrated combined chemotherapy with S-1 and gemcitabine. This treatment was efficacious and well tolerated, and then this patient obtained objective partial response for 7 months and survived for 13 months after the diagnosis. This case suggests that S-1 and gemcitabine combination produce beneficial responses for patients with this disease. © 2012 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.