A case report of gemcitabine treatment for duodenal cancer: the good (a sustained response) and the bad (life threatening refractory thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura).

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Adenocarcinoma of the duodenum is a rare cancer and not submitted to the type of clinical trials that guide chemotherapy treatments in other gastrointestinal malignancies.

CASE REPORT:

This case demonstrates the potential use for gemcitabine, a chemotherapy typically used in pancreas and biliary tract tumors, in this difficult to treat disease as this patient had a partial response to single agent gemcitabine. Unfortunately, this case also demonstrates one of the rare potential adverse reactions to gemcitabine, which is the development of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

CONCLUSION:

In this case, the TTP was extremely difficult to treat but was resolved with splenectomy.

• Authors: Andrew Robinson, William F Clark
• Journal: Journal of gastrointestinal cancer (J Gastrointest Cancer) Vol. 41 Issue 1 Pg. 71-4 (Mar 2010) ISSN: 1941-6636 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19967470 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
• Deoxycytidine
• Gemcitabine

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (drug therapy, secondary)
• Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic (adverse effects)
• Deoxycytidine (adverse effects, analogs & derivatives)
• Duodenal Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Omentum (pathology)
• Pancreas (pathology)
• Peritoneal Neoplasms (drug therapy, pathology)
• Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic (chemically induced)
• Gemcitabine