Frontiers in Oncology (Nov 2023)
Case Report: A complete pathologic response in pancreatic cancer with squamous cell differentiation
Abstract
Primary pancreatic malignancies are mostly composed of the adenocarcinoma histological subtype. However, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounts for approximately 0.5%–1% of all malignant pancreatic cancers. Because of the rarity of SCC of the pancreas, guideline-directed treatment is lacking, treatment response is difficult to access, and treatment options are poorly defined. Here, we report a case of a 65-year-old man diagnosed with pancreatic carcinoma with dominant squamous cell differentiation, who achieved complete pathologic response (CPR) after treatment with gemcitabine, cisplatin, and nab-paclitaxel every 14 days for six cycles and who continues to lead a high quality of life 7 months later. To our knowledge, this is the first case of CPR in a case of SCC of the pancreas. To highlight the ambiguity and the need for further studies, we also performed a narrative review analyzing recent cases and compared them to our case.
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