Squamous cell carcinoma of the seminal vesicle. Review of the related literature and case report

Seminal vesicle tumors are very rare malignancies which are not diagnosed in daily clinical oncology practice. Primary malignant tumors in seminal vesicle are difficult to define due to the lack of specific symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Another obstacle of proper diagnosis is the frequent invasion of tumors of the surrounding organs, especially the prostate, rectum and bladder which is difficult to differentiate. Very often seminal vesicle tumors are difficult to detect. Digital rectal examination as well as transrectal ultrasound scan (US) could reveal a bulky mass in the retrovesical space. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the main diagnostic methods which could help to reveal pathologic masses in the region of seminal vesicles. Levels of prostate-specific antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen and tumor markers specific for colorectal cancer are negative in seminal vesicle tumors.

The world experience of treating seminal vesicle tumors is very limited. There is paucity of data regarding appropriate choice of surgical approach and further treatment strategy and most of the time the treatment is individualized and based on very scarce information. At the same time surgical approach may vary significantly from vesiculectomy to pelvic exenteration. Possibility of using any regimens of adjuvant radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormone therapy is highly debatable. However, aggressive surgical approach with radical tumor removal followed by extended lymphodissection shows the most favorable results in survival of patients suffering from seminal vesicle cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the seminal vesicles is presumed to be an extremely rare disease as there are only 3 reports of it in the world literature. We report a case of patient B. suffering from squamous cell carcinoma of the right seminal vesicle whom we conducted an aggressive surgical approach – prostatovesiculectomy followed by resection of the posterior bladder wall. There was no adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. In the next 22 months such diagnostic methods as US and MRI revealed no metastases or symptoms of the disease recurrence.

1. Lorber G., Pizov G., Gofrit O.N., Pode D. Seminalvesicl ecystadenoma: a rare clinical perspective. Eur Urol 2011;60(2):388–91.

2. Lyon O. Primary cancer of the left seminal vesicle. J Urol 1925;13:477.

3. Hajdu S.I., Faruque A.A. Adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicles. J Urol 1968;99: 798–801.

4. Thiel R., Effert P. Primary adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicles. J Urol 2002;168(5):1891–6.

5. Benson R.C., Clark W.R., Farrow G.M. Carcinoma of the seminal vesicle. J Urol 1984;132:483–5.

6. Dalgaard J.B., Giertsen J.C. Primary carcinoma of the seminal vesicle: case and survey. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand 1956;39:255–67.

7. Wang J., Yue X., Zhao R. et al. Primary squamous cell carcinoma of seminal vesicle: an extremely rare case report with literature review. Int Urol Nephrol 2013;45:135–8.

8. Qhrnori T., Okada K., Tabei R. et al. CA125-producing adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicle. Pathol Int 1994;44: 333–7.

9. Egevad L., Ehrnstrom R., Hakansson U. Primary carcinoma of the seminal vesicle detected at transurethral resection of the prostate. Urology 2007;69:e11–3.

10. Angulo J.C., Romero I., Cabrera P. et al. Vesiculectomía con prostatectomía parcial laparoscópica en el tratamiento del adenocarcinoma primario de vesícula seminal con transformación carcinomatosa del conducto eyaculador. Actas Urol Esp 2011;35:304–9.

11. Shamim K.M., Lail-Umah Z., Ahmed K. et al. Low-grade phyllodes tumor of the seminal vesicle treated with laparoscopic excision. Nat Clin Pract Urol 2007;4(7): 395–400.

12. Wang Z.J., Wang K.Z., Che F.Z. A case report of congenital hypospadias, seminal vesicle huge stones and squamous cell carcinoma of seminal vesicle. Clin Med China 2001;17(7):499 (in Chinese).

13. Lee B.H., Seo J.W., Han Y.H., Kim Y.H. Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of a seminal vesicle cyst associated wiyh ectopic ureter and ipsilateral renal agenesis: a case report. Korean J Radiol 2007;8:258–61.

14. Thyavihally Y.B., Tongaonkar H.B., Gupta S., Gujral S. Primary adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicle, as a single metastasis penis responding to chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. Urology 2007;69 (Suppl 4):778.e1–3.

15. Mohring C., Бah P., Kosciesza S., Goepel М. A primary adenocarcinoma of the seminal vesicles. Case report of a rare malignancy. Urologe A 2008;47(5):616–9.

16. Tabata K., Irie A., Ishii D. et al. Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the seminal vesicle. Urology 2002;59(3):445.

17. Cormack D.H. Ham’s histology, 9th edn. J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1987.

18. Yanagisawa N., Saegusa M., Yoshida T., Okayasu I. Squamous cell carcinoma arising from a seminal vesicular cyst: possible relationship between chronic inflammation andtumor development. Pathol Int 2002;52(3):249–53.

19. Okuda Y., Tanaka H., Takeuchi H., Yoshida O. Papillary adenocarcinoma in a seminal vesicle cyst associated with ipsilateral renal agenesis: a case report. J Urol 1992;148:1543–5.