Complete remission of primary retroperitoneal transitional cell carcinoma after radiotherapy and oral chemotherapy: a case report

摘要

Primary retroperitoneal transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs) are extremely rare neoplasms for which prognosis is very poor. We present a case that underwent complete remission after radiotherapy and concurrent oral chemotherapy. A 68-year-old woman presented with acute onset of bloody stool. Urgent colonoscopy only detected haemorrhoids. Subsequent abdominal ultrasonography revealed a mass of 7cm in maximal diameter in the left iliac fossa. Laparotomy disclosed a retroperitoneal mass that could not be dissected and therefore only incision biopsy was performed. After a final diagnosis of primary retroperitoneal TCC, chemotherapy with tegafur-uracil (UFT) was initiated but was not effective. Subsequently, radiotherapy was initiated concurrently with UFT at a total dose of 50Gy in 25 fractions. At 20 months after radiotherapy, the tumour seemed to have completely remitted. At the last follow-up, ten years from radiotherapy, computed tomography revealed no recurrence.We identified only three single case reports regarding primary retroperitoneal TCC over the last five decades. All patients died from the tumour 8−24 months after diagnosis or treatment. Based on the success of our case, radiotherapy with concurrent oral chemotherapy should be considered as an option for unresected cases.