A Case of Pancreatic Metastasis From Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Oropharynx

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SNEC) rarely occurs in the head and neck and usually occurs in the lungs. We report the case of a 55-year-old Asian male with SNEC in the oropharynx and jaundice due to pancreatic metastasis, which was successfully palliated by amrubicin (AMR), radiotherapy, and an endoscopic biliary stent. Although pancreatic metastases are known to occur at the end stage of small cell lung cancer, there are limited data on the treatment protocols for pancreatic metastases from SNEC. The main complication of SNEC for pancreatic lesions is obstructive jaundice. Palliative radiotherapy and biliary drainage may have life-prolonging effects in patients with extrahepatic biliary obstruction. It may also be a worthwhile risk to use anticancer drugs, such as AMR that are metabolized in the liver, if the obstructive jaundice is caused by tumor growth.