Successful management of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the ureter with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemoradiation: case report and literature review

Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of the urinary tract are rare, and the urinary bladder is the the most common primary site. Primary ureteric NET is rarer with under 80 cases reported in the literature thus far. Most of these tumours are of the high-grade small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma subtype, which has a worse prognosis. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has a proven role in the management of NET of the bladder as it downstages the tumour, which may add to significant recurrence-free survival and overall survival. We report the successful management of a patient with locally advanced small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the ureter, who had a pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with etoposide and cisplatin. He subsequently received adjuvant chemotherapy followed by radiation and is recurrence-free at a follow-up of 1 year.