title: High-dose carboplatin with etoposide in patients with recurrent thymoma: the Indiana University experience.
abstract: Thymoma is a chemotherapy-sensitive tumor with a 30-50% 5-year survival in previously untreated patients. Unfortunately, durable CRs with salvage chemotherapy are rarely observed. We initiated a phase II trial of high-dose carboplatin and etoposide in patients with relapsed thymoma or thymic carcinoma. All patients had progressive disease (PD) after initial or salvage chemotherapy, but were not cisplatin-refractory. PBSCs were mobilized using 10 microg/kg/day G-CSF. Patients received carboplatin 700 mg/m(2) and etoposide 750 mg/m(2) i.v. on days -5, -4, -3. Five patients were enrolled and evaluated after tandem transplants 4 weeks apart. All patients had pleural-based and lung parenchymal metastasis, one or two prior surgeries and two or more courses of prior cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens. Chemotherapy was well tolerated, although grade IV hematological toxicity occurred in all patients. Progression-free survival following HDC ranged from 3.5 to 16.5 months. One patient maintained a CR for 12.8 months, then died from an unrelated cause. With a minimum of 2 years follow-up for all patients, three of five patients remain alive at 26+, 36+, and 49+ months. High-dose carboplatin and etoposide in relapsed thymoma is feasible with acceptable toxicity; however, these limited data do not appear superior to standard-dose salvage therapy.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hanna
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Gharpure
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abonour
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cornetta
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Loehrer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin