Salvage chemotherapy with amrubicin and platinum for relapsed thymic carcinoma: experience in six cases.

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/m(2) day 1-3) plus platinum compounds (cisplatin 60 mg/m(2) day 1 or nedaplatin 70 mg/m(2) 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.

• 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
• Journal: Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) (Med Oncol) Vol. 27 Issue 2 Pg. 392-6 (Jun 2010) ISSN: 1559-131X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19415537 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anthracyclines
• Antibiotics, Antineoplastic
• Platinum Compounds
• amrubicin

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Anthracyclines (administration & dosage)
• Antibiotics, Antineoplastic (administration & dosage)
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (drug therapy, pathology)
• Platinum Compounds (administration & dosage)
• Salvage Therapy (methods)
• Secondary Prevention
• Thymoma (drug therapy, pathology)