title: Efficacy and Safety of Carboplatin and Etoposide Combination Chemotherapy for Extrapulmonary Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: A Retrospective Case Series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is a rare tumor type, and a standard therapy for NEC has not yet been established. From 2008 to 2013, carboplatin-etoposide combination therapy has been used to treat almost all NEC patients in our department, and the objective of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of carboplatin-etoposide combination therapy in NEC.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study was conducted based on medical records from 2008 to 2013. Eligible patients had been pathologically diagnosed with NEC and had received a carboplatin-etoposide combination as first-line chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen patients were included in the study, and the overall response rate was 47.4%. The median overall survival was 12.7 months, and the median progression-free survival was 7.0 months. The median survival times were 10.8 and 8.9 months in NEC patients with primary sites in the gastrointestinal tract and hepatobiliary-pancreatic system, respectively. Median progression-free survival times were 5.0 and 3.1 months, respectively. The major toxicities were grade 3 and 4 leukopenia (73.7%), neutropenia (78.9%), anemia (31.6%), and thrombocytopenia (26.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Carboplatin-etoposide combination therapy for NEC may have comparable effectiveness and milder adverse events than cisplatin-etoposide combination therapy.
authors.forename: Hiroo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shirota
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.forename: Keigo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komine
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saijo
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimodaira
authors.forename: Chikashi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ishioka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin