A phase-II trial of dose-dense chemotherapy in patients with disseminated thymoma: report of a Japan Clinical Oncology Group trial (JCOG 9605).

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of dose-dense weekly chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced thymoma.

METHODS:

Subjects comprised patients with histologically documented chemotherapy-naïve thymoma with stage-IVa or IVb disease. Thymic carcinoma, carcinoid or lymphoma cases were excluded. Patients received 9 weeks of chemotherapy: cisplatin (25 mg m(-2)) on weeks 1-9; vincristine (1 mg m(-2)) on weeks 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8; and doxorubicin (40 mg m(-2)) and etoposide (80 mg m(-2)) on days 1-3 of weeks 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. Chemotherapy courses were supported by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Post-protocol local therapy was allowed.

RESULTS:

From July 1997 to March 2004, 30 patients were entered. Three were ineligible due to different histology. Chemotherapy-associated toxicity was mainly haematological and was well tolerated, with no deaths due to toxicity, and 87% of patients completed the planned 9-week regimen. Overall response rate was 59%, with 16 of the 27 eligible patients achieving partial response. Median progression-fee survival (PFS) was 0.79 years (95% confidence interval: 0.52-1.40 years), and PFS at 1 and 2 years was 37 and 15%, respectively. Overall survival rates at 2 and 5 years were 89 and 65%, respectively.

CONCLUSION:

In stage-IV thymoma patients, weekly dose-dense chemotherapy offers similar activity to conventional regimens.

• Authors: H Kunitoh, T Tamura, T Shibata, K Nakagawa, K Takeda, Y Nishiwaki, Y Osaki, K Noda, A Yokoyama, N Saijo, JCOG Lung Cancer Study Group, Tokyo, Japan
• Journal: British journal of cancer (Br J Cancer) Vol. 101 Issue 9 Pg. 1549-54 (Nov 03 2009) ISSN: 1532-1827 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 19809436 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Phase II, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Female
• Humans
• Japan
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging
• Thymoma (drug therapy, mortality, pathology)
• Thymus Neoplasms (drug therapy, mortality, pathology)