title: Combination of irinotecan and a platinum agent for poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas.
abstract: Extrapulmonary poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma (PDNEC) is a rare and highly aggressive neoplasm for which the optimal chemotherapy remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with PDNEC treated with cisplatin and irinotecan (IP) and perform a review of the literature. From 2008 to 2012, patients with advanced PDNEC (Ki67≥20%) who received the IP combination were selected for analysis. Radiologic responses were determined through Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors criteria. Twenty-eight patients were included. The median age at diagnosis was 57 years and the most common presentation was pancreatic PDNEC. Twenty-five patients (89%) received chemotherapy with cisplatin and irinotecan and three received carboplatin and irinotecan. Forty-six percent of the patients achieved objective response and the median time to tumor progression was 3.7 months. The median overall survival was 11.7 months. Thirteen patients (46%) had treatment interruptions or dose reductions due to grade 3/4 toxicity. This retrospective cohort of advanced extrapulmonary PDNEC patients suggests that the IP combination is feasible and resulted in similar response rate and median survival to other treatments previously reported.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Oncologia, Hospital Sírio Libanês , São Paulo.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramella Munhoz
authors.forename: Juliana Florinda
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: de Mendonça Rego
authors.forename: Anezka Rubim
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: de Celis Ferrari
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ignez Braghiroli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mendonça Bariani
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marcelo Hoff
authors.forename: Frederico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perego Costa
authors.forename: Túlio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eduardo Flesch Pfiffer
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Riechelmann
keywords: cisplatin; irinotecan; neuroendocrine carcinoma; neuroendocrine tumors