title: Chemotherapy for invasive thymoma. A 13-year experience.
abstract: From 1977 to 1990, 37 patients with Stage III or IV invasive thymoma (20 men and 17 women; median age, 40 years of age) were referred for chemotherapy to the Padova Medical Oncology Department. All patients initially received the same regimen (50 mg/m2 of cisplatin and 40 mg/m2 of doxorubicin intravenously (IV) on day 1, 0.6 mg/m2 of vincristine IV on day 3, and 700 mg/m2 of cyclophosphamide IV on day 4 [ADOC]), recycling at monthly intervals. No life-threatening side effects were noted. The overall clinical response rate (complete response plus partial response) was 91.8%, with 43% complete remissions. Median duration of response and survival were 12 months (range, 2 to 96+ months) and 15 months (range, 5 to 96+ months), respectively. Seven of the 16 complete remissions were pathologically confirmed at subsequent thoracotomy. Other chemotherapy combinations and radiation therapy have been applied as second-line treatment, achieving only minimal responses. In the opinion of the authors, such chemotherapy deserves evaluation for adjuvant and neo-adjuvant treatment of invasive (and/or inoperable) thymoma due to the high complete response rate and overall response rate.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Oncologia Medica, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fornasiero
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Daniele
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghiotto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fiore-Donati
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calabró
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Fiorentino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D013945:Thymoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D014750:Vincristine
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D002945:Cisplatin; D007069:Ifosfamide