title: Combination chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel for advanced thymic cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thymic carcinoma is a rare cancer of the thymus, different from thymoma in respect of its malignant nature, and no standard chemotherapy for this cancer has been established yet.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review of the efficacy of combination chemotherapy with carboplatin (an area under the curve of 6) and paclitaxel (200 mg/m(2)) in 16 patients with histologically or cytologically proven thymic carcinoma, Masaoka Stage IVa/IVb or post-operative recurrent disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 13 males and 3 females, with a median (range) age of 56 (38-73) years. Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common (n= 12), followed by undifferentiated carcinoma (n= 2) and others (n= 2). Four, nine and three patients had Stage IVa, IVb and post-operative recurrent disease, respectively. Two and four patients showed complete and partial responses, respectively, representing a response rate (95% confidence interval) of 37.5 (15.2-64.6)%. The median (95% confidence interval) progression-free and overall survivals in the 16 patients were 8.6 (1.8-15.3) and 49.4 (30.1-68.8) months, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination therapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel yielded an objective response in about one-third of the patients with advanced thymic carcinoma.
authors: Division of Internal Medicine and Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tsukiji 5-1-1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Furugen
authors: Ikuo
authors: I
authors: Sekine
authors: Koji
authors: K
authors: Tsuta
authors: Hidehito
authors: H
authors: Horinouchi
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Nokihara
authors: Noboru
authors: N
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Kaoru
authors: K
authors: Kubota
authors: Tomohide
authors: T
authors: Tamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013812:Therapeutics; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel