ArticleMedicine2021
Successful treatment using immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary origin with bulky abdominal mass: A case report.
Article in Medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Occult squamous cell carcinoma presenting as oligometastatic lymphadenopathy. A systematic review with a case report.Oncology reviews · 2026Pooled it
- Article
- Cancer of Unknown Primary With Squamous Cell Carcinoma Phenotype Presenting as Isolated Axillary Mass.Cureus · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
rationaleCancer of unknown primary (CUP) means that the primary focus cannot be found after preliminary clinical evaluation. It accounts for 2.3% to 5% of newly diagnosed cancer cases. Due to the lack of standard treatment, CUP is usually associated with poor prognosis and is the third to fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report the case of a 42-year-old female patient who was admitted to the hospital for intermittent right abdominal pain and abdominal distension. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed a large abdominal mass of unknown origin, which was difficult to resect due to its close relationship with surrounding tissues. Twenty days later, the patient had enlarged left supraclavicular lymph nodes, and percutaneous biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, next-generation sequencing (NGS) of tissue and blood samples showed immune-related mutations and PD-L1 expression. DIAGNOSES: The patient was diagnosed with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary origin, with a bulky abdominal mass.
interventionsThe patient was treated with carboplatin, albumin-binding paclitaxel, and immune checkpoint inhibitor (carilizumab). After 6 cycles, the patient was switched to maintenance treatment with carilizumab. OUTCOMES: The general condition of the patient improved, and the lesion was significantly reduced. The treatment efficacy was assessed as partial remission according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. The patient benefited from immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy. LESSONS: There is no recommended standard treatment for most CUPs, which leads to their poor prognoses. By performing NGS for patients and targeting immune-related positive predictors, immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy may prolong the overall survival of patients. This case report suggests that immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy is feasible and effective in patients with CUP.
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