Published in:
01-06-2010 | Original Paper
Salvage chemotherapy with amrubicin and platinum for relapsed thymic carcinoma: experience in six cases
Authors:
Tomonobu Koizumi, Toshihiko Agatsuma, Takashi Ichiyama, Toshiki Yokoyama, Atsuhito Ushiki, Yoshimichi Komatsu, Tsuyoshi Tanabe, Takashi Kobayashi, Sumiko Yoshikawa, Masanori Yasuo, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Keishi Kubo, Tsutomu Hachiya
Published in:
Medical Oncology
|
Issue 2/2010
Login to get access
Abstract
It has been reported that cisplatin-based chemotherapy shows beneficial effects in certain patients with advanced thymic carcinoma. However, the usefulness of salvage therapy has not been reported. We focused on a new anthracycline agent, amrubicin, combined with platinum compounds as salvage chemotherapy in patients with thymic carcinoma. Six cases of unresectable and locally advanced thymic carcinoma relapsed from prior cisplatin-containing chemotherapy were treated with amrubicin (30–40 mg/m2 day 1–3) plus platinum compounds (cisplatin 60 mg/m2 day 1 or nedaplatin 70 mg/m2 day 1) chemotherapy as salvage chemotherapy. Two patients showed a partial response. However, Grade 3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in all and two of the patients, respectively. We conclude that thymic carcinoma is sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy and that amrubicin appears to have significant activity against thymic carcinoma. The major toxicity is hematological toxicities.