Novel Treatment of Small-Cell Neuroendocrine of the Vagina

Primary vaginal small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is an extremely rare and highly aggressive malignancy. Eighty-five percent of patients die within one year of diagnosis from metastatic disease despite multimodal therapy. Gene expressionprofiling of tumor tissue may be useful for treatment options for various malignancies.Case. A 34-year-old nulliparous womanwas diagnosed with primary vaginal small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Twenty weeks after the initial visit, she was diagnosedwith recurrence and started on chemoradiation based on the results of gene expression profile of tumor tissue. She died 34 monthsafter the initial visit and had a 14-month progression-free survival (PFS).Conclusion. Gene expression profile of tumor tissue inthe management of primary vaginal small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma may be helpful in extending progression-free survival.