Radiation Oncology/Pancreas/Squamous Cell
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- Squamous cells not normally present in pancreas, so four theories have been proposed:
- Metaplasia of pancreatic ductal epithelium present during inflammation (eg during pancreatitis)
- Pluripotent progenitor cell capable of differentiating to adeno or squamous undergoes malignant transformation
- Pre-existing adenocarcinoma undergoes transformation to squamous cell
- Aberrant squamous cell undergoes malignant transformation
- Reported incidence between 0.005% (pure squamous) and 2% (adenosquamous) tumors of pancreatic tumors
- 61 cases reported in English literature (PMID 16208119)
- Mean age 62 years
- Presenting symptoms: abdominal or back pain, weight loss, anorexia
- Average tumor size 7.8 cm
- Equal distribution between head, body and tail
- Median survival: resected 7 months, non-resectable 3 months
- Given its rarity, it is important to exclude metastatic disease from elsewhere
- Enhances on triphasic contrast CT
- Consider gemcitabine-based chemotherapy
Adenosquamous carcinoma
[edit | edit source]- PMID 10367867, 1999 — "Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas." (Madura JA. Arch Surg. 1999 Jun;134(6):599-603.)
- Retrospective review of 6 patients
- Approximately 4% of all pancreatic neoplasms (only 134 cases reported at the time of publication - 1999)
- Discussion states positive Ca 19-9, ST 439, keratin staining
- Survival = 5.4 +/- 4 months