Gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and cisplatin as combined adjuvant approach in transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to evaluate the adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and cisplatin for urothelial carcinoma.


METHODS
Twenty-seven patients with invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium were treated between 2001 and 2007. All patients received chemotherapy with intravenous gemcitabine at a dose of 1000 mg/mC on Days 1 and 8, intravenous paclitaxel at a dose of 80 mg/mC on Days 1 and 8, and intravenous cisplatin at a dose of 50 mg/mC on Day 2. Treatment courses were repeated every 21 days.


RESULTS
Median follow-up period was 32.5 months. Six patients came to progressive disease. The median overall survival was not reached, and the actuarial 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 89% and 67% respectively. The median progression-free survival was 10.0 months. Median survival time for patients with ECOG status 0, and 1 was 52.0, and 22.0 months respectively. Grade 4 neutropenia occurred in 18.5% of patients, but there was no treatment related mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and cisplatin is a highly effective and tolerable regimen for patients with invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium. This treatment should be considered as a suitable option that deserves further prospective evaluation. ECOG performance status is an important predictive factors for survival.
Ecke
T D
TD
HELIOS Hospital, Department of Urology, Pieskower Strasse 33, D-15526 Bad Saarow, Germany. tho_ecke@hotmail.com
Gerullis
H
H
Bartel
P
P
Koch
S
S
Ruttloff
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007682:Kidney Pelvis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014516:Ureteral Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine