Experience with gemcitabine and cisplatin in the therapy of inoperable and metastatic cholangiocarcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To study the activity of gemcitabine and cisplatin in a cohort of patients with inoperable or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma.


METHODS
Chemotherapy-naive patients with pathologically proven cholangiocarcinoma, receiving treatment that consisted of gemcitabine at 1250 mg/m(2) in a 30-min infusion on d 1 and 8, and cisplatin at 75 mg/m(2) at every 21-d cycle, were retrospectively analyzed.


RESULTS
From June 2003 to December 2005, 42 patients were evaluated. Twelve patients (28%) had unresectable disease and 30 (72%) had metastatic disease. There were 28 males and 14 females with a median age of 51 years (range 33-67) and median ECOG PS of 1 (range 0-2). A total of 171 cycles were given with a median number of cycles of 4 (range 1-6). There were 0 CR, 9 PR, 11 SD and 13 PD (response rate 21%). Grade 3-4 hematologic toxicities were: anemia in 33%, neutropenia in 22% and thrombocytopenia in 5%. Non-hematologic toxicity was generally mild. No cases of febrile neutropenia or treatment-related death were noted. The median survival was 10.8 mo (range 8.4-13 mo) and progression free survival was 8.5 mo. One-year survival rate was 40%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that the combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin had consistent efficacy in patients with unresectable or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma.
Charoentum
Chaiyut
C
Department of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, 110 Intawaroros Road, Maung district, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand. ccharoen@mail.med.cmu.ac.th
Thongprasert
Sumitra
S
Chewaskulyong
Busyamas
B
Munprakan
Sutthirak
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine