MicroRNA and Metabolic Profiling of a Primary Ovarian Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Pulmonary-Type Reveals a High Degree of Similarity with Small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma is most frequently found in the lung (SCLC), but it has been also reported, albeit with a very low incidence, in the ovary. Here, we analyze a case of primary small cell carcinoma of the ovary of pulmonary type (SCCOPT), a rare and aggressive tumor with poor prognosis, whose biology and molecular features have not yet been thoroughly investigated. The patient affected by SCCOPT had a residual tumor following chemotherapy which displayed pronounced similarity with neuroendocrine tumors and lung cancer in terms of its microRNA expression profile and mTOR-downstream activation. By analyzing the metabolic markers of the neoplastic lesion, we established a likely glycolytic signature. In conclusion, this in-depth characterization of SCCOPT could be useful for future diagnoses, possibly aided by microRNA profiling, allowing clinicians to adopt the most appropriate therapeutic strategy.

Keywords

• microRNA
• small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma
• ovarian carcinoma
• gynecological cancers
• mTOR
• cancer metabolism