摘要
BACKGROUND Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the urethra is a rare type of aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis.Clear cell carcinoma of the urethra represents less than 0.02%of all malignancies in women.Adenocarcinomas account for 10%of female urethral carcinomas,of which 40%are the clear cell variant.Determining the presence or absence of certain mutations through genetic testing may predict whether a patient with cancer may benefit from a particular chemotherapy regimen.CASE SUMMARY A 40-year-old woman presented with a 3-year history of slow urinary flow and a 3-mo history of urinary urgency and frequency as well as gross hematuria.An abdominal and pelvic computed tomography scan demonstrated enlarged lymph nodes in the abdomen and pelvis.A biopsy of a left inguinal lymph node microscopically confirmed a metastatic adenocarcinoma of the urethra.Specialized genetic testing determined personalized chemotherapy.She was treated successfully with a non-platinum-based chemotherapy consisting of paclitaxel and bevacizumab.Following 3 cycles of paclitaxel and bevacizumab,she attained significant clinical improvement,and response by FDG-Positron emission tomography(PET)imaging showed a definite improvement in size and metabolic activity.She achieved complete response after 6 cycles of therapy by PET scan.The patient concluded 11 cycles of paclitaxel and bevacizumab,and a subsequent PET scan confirmed progression of metastatic disease.The patient was then treated with two cycles of doxorubicin after which a PET scan revealed a mixed response to the treatment.CONCLUSION We report the first case of a patient with metastatic clear cell adenocarcinoma of the urethra who underwent personalized chemotherapy after testing for cancer gene alterations.Our unique case represents the safe and effective use of nonplatinum-based chemotherapy in clear cell adenocarcinoma of the urethra.
