Small cell carcinoma of the genitourinary system

Small cell carcinomas of the genitourinary system represent a rare entity, accounting for less than 1% of organ tumors. We aimed to review literature regarding the disease entity, organs involved, associated pathology, and treatment strategies. Medline was reviewed for all publications in English, plus within the Turkish Journal of Urology for published articles both in English and Turkish. The search criteria included “bladder”, “prostate”, “ureter”, “urethra”, “testis”, “epididymes”, and “penis” in combination with “small cell carcinoma” or “neuroendocrinal differentiation”. Totally 60 articles were found to be of high impact; studying every organ within the genitourinary system separately. Studies in the literature showed that small cell carcinoma of the genitourinary tract is rare, and mostly associated with other pathologies. Thus, if not considered, it can be easily missed and can adversely affect the prognosis. Platinum based chemotherapy for an average duration of 8 months, together with surgical resection, represents a relative promise for treatment of such pathology.