Complete remission of a radio-resistant cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp by systemic treatment with liposomal doxorubicin.
We report an 80-year-old man suffering from an angiosarcoma of the scalp. Because of the wide extent of the lesions, surgery was not performed. Instead, the patient was treated with electron-beam radiation. Later, the patient failed to benefit from radiotherapy demonstrated by a local relapse and new malignant lesions. Additionally, a cervical lymph node metastasis appeared for the first time. Subsequently, we successfully administered liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx(R)). Shortly after administration of two cycles the scalp angiosarcoma showed a clear regression. Following six cycles, the patient clinically showed a complete remission of all skin lesions and the cervical lymph node; metastasis was confirmed by histology and fine needle aspiration, respectively. Liposomal and pegylated doxorubicin, a cytostatic drug belonging to the anthracyclines, has already shown to be effective and mostly well tolerated in the therapy of acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related Kaposi's sarcoma and very recently in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, too. Caelyx(R) appears to be a promising alternative to conventional treatment of cutaneous angiosarcoma.
Eiling
S
S
Department of Dermatology, University of Kiel, Schittenhelmstrasse 7, Germany.
Lischner
S
S
Busch
J-O
JO
Rothaupt
D
D
Christophers
E
E
Hauschild
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes; D011836:Radiation Tolerance; D012535:Scalp; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008081:Liposomes; D004317:Doxorubicin