Antitumour activity of paclitaxel and interferon-alpha in a case of metastatic eccrine porocarcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Eccrine porocarcinoma (EP) is a rare malignant tumour arising in the acrosyringium, with about 50% of the cases developing local recurrence or metastatic disease. No standard therapy protocols for metastatic disease exist. In the past, only short remissions were achieved by applying combinations of cytotoxic agents, which were associated with severe side-effects.


OBJECTIVE
In the case reported here, the aim was to find a protocol with fewer side-effects for a patient who was not willing to undergo extensive polychemotherapy.


METHODS
A 67-year-old male patient with local recurrence and regional lymph node metastases after resection of EP was treated with a combination of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) 9 million units s.c. three times per week and paclitaxel 100 mg/m(2) weekly i.v., which shows a side-effect profile similar to taxotere and is used in the treatment of a variety of neoplasms such as advanced squamous cell carcinoma.


RESULTS
This less aggressive treatment was tolerated well and the patient responded with minor remission and long-term stable disease.
Gutermuth
J
J
Division of Environmental Dermatology and Allergy, GSF National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany. jan.gvtermuth@gsf.de
Audring
H
H
Voit
C
C
Trefzer
U
U
Haas
N
N
D018250:Acrospiroma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013544:Sweat Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017239:Paclitaxel