title: Treatable subsets in cancer of unknown primary origin.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatable subsets in cancer of unknown primary origin (CUP). Fifty patients (27 males and 23 females; median age, 53 years) with CUP diagnosed between April 1992 and June 1999 were analyzed retrospectively. Of the 50 patients, 39 received chemotherapy: platinum-based in 31, non-platinum-based in 4, and clinical trials of new agents in 4. Of the 39 patients, 13 (33.3%; 95% confidence interval: 19.1 - 50.2%) showed objective responses, with 4 complete responders. Patients with poorly differentiated carcinomas in whom beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) was elevated more than 10 mIU / ml and female patients with peritoneal adenocarcinomatosis achieved high response rates (83.3% and 80%, respectively) with platinum-based chemotherapy, as compared with only a 15.3% response rate in the remaining patients. Platinum-based chemotherapy provided promising results in patients with poorly differentiated carcinomas and in female patients with peritoneal adenocarcinomatosis. Significantly elevated serum levels of beta-HCG in patients with poorly differentiated carcinoma might predict a better response to platinum-based chemotherapy. However, the investigation of novel chemotherapeutic approaches is warranted for other groups of patients with CUP.
authors: Division of Oncology and Hematology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwa-noha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8577, Japan.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Sumi
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Itoh
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Onozawa
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Shigeoka
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Kodama
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Ishizawa
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Fujii
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Minami
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Igarashi
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human