Post-Brachytherapy Transformation of Prostatic Adenocarcinoma to Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Cadaver Anatomy Case Report

Abstract

Prostatic squamous cell carcinoma comprises less than 1% of reported prostate cancers. This form of cancer has a poor prognosis with a low survival time following diagnosis and no definitive form of treatment. A Caucasian male cadaver presented with primary pure squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate with metastasis to the liver and local invasion of the bladder, ureter, and rectum. Post-mortem examination showed evidence of brachytherapy radiation seeds in the prostate. Histological analysis and clinical intuition suggest that these seeds were used in an attempt to treat a previous low-grade adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The lack of patient history complicates determining a definitive cause of death, but the pathological presentation strongly suggests that the cause of death was a pure squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate following brachytherapy treatment for a previous prostatic adenocarcinoma. This case report further aids in establishing the relationship between the use of brachytherapy for prostatic adenocarcinoma and the subsequent development of prostatic squamous cell carcinoma.