Adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site

A common clinical entity, comprising 2% to 4% of all incident cancers worldwide.

Untreated, prognosis is poor, with a median survival between 3 and 4 months.

A key goal in the diagnostic workup is to identify subsets of patients with a more favorable clinicopathologic subtype and likely better outcome.

Systemic chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment. Supportive therapies control pain and other symptoms.

Adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site (AUP) is the major subgroup in the common clinical entity of cancer of unknown primary site (CUP). It is defined as metastatic adenocarcinoma for which the primary site is undetectable at presentation, despite thorough physical exam, and laboratory and radiographic investigation.[1]Varadhachary GR, Abbruzzese JL, Lenzi R. Diagnostic strategies for unknown primary cancer. Cancer. 2004;100:1776-1785. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.20202/full http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15112256?tool=bestpractice.com