A case of metachronous double primary neuroendocrine cancer in pancreas/ileum and uterine cervix

Abstract

We describe an unusual case of a 50-year-old female patient developing two primary cancers with neuroendocrine features. Initially the patient underwent surgery for an entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. During the subsequent follow-up she experienced some episodes of vaginal bleeding with negative PET scanning with the tracer fluorine-18 (F-18) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). A Papanicolaou (pap) smear and an endometrial biopsy revealed a primary neuroendocrine cancer of the uterine cervix. The present case underlines the importance of clinical follow-up after a diagnosis of intestinal neuroendocrine tumor, investigating any new symptom. Female patients, after the diagnosis of entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma, must be recommended to continue screening pap test examinations for the likelihood of classical squamous and glandular cervical cancers and also for neuroendocrine cervical cancer.

Key words::

• Metachronous double primary cancer
• neuroendocrine cancer
• pap smear
• pancreas
• uterine cervix

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.