Combination chemotherapy of carboplatin and paclitaxel for advanced/metastatic salivary gland carcinoma patients: differences in responses by different pathological diagnoses.
BACKGROUND
A standard chemotherapy for recurrent/metastatic salivary gland cancers has not been established. Combination chemotherapy of carboplatin and paclitaxel should be evaluated as a treatment option.


METHODS
This study retrospectively reviewed salivary gland cancer patients who received combination chemotherapy of carboplatin and paclitaxel. The differences in objective responses and in the prognoses according to the different pathological diagnoses were evaluated.


RESULTS
A total of 38 patients were enrolled in the study; of them, 18 had salivary duct carcinomas (SDCs), nine had adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACCs), and 11 had other pathological diagnoses. Objective responses were observed in 15 (39%) patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.5 months, and the median overall survival (OS) was 26.5 months. ACC patients had relatively low response rates (9%), but there were no significant differences in PFS or OS compared to other sub-types. The treatment was well tolerated, with few adverse events.


CONCLUSIONS
Salivary gland cancer patients showed a moderate clinical response to the combination chemotherapy of carboplatin and paclitaxel. The objective response rates differed according to the pathological diagnoses, but there were no significant differences in prognoses.
a Department of Medical Oncology , Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research , Tokyo , Japan ;
Kenji
K
Nakano
b Department of Pathology , Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research , Tokyo , Japan ;
Yukiko
Y
Sato
c Department of Head and Neck Surgery , Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research , Tokyo , Japan.
Tohru
T
Sasaki
c Department of Head and Neck Surgery , Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research , Tokyo , Japan.
Wataru
W
Shimbashi
c Department of Head and Neck Surgery , Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research , Tokyo , Japan.
Hirofumi
H
Fukushima
c Department of Head and Neck Surgery , Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research , Tokyo , Japan.
Hiroyuki
H
Yonekawa
c Department of Head and Neck Surgery , Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research , Tokyo , Japan.
Hiroki
H
Mitani
c Department of Head and Neck Surgery , Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research , Tokyo , Japan.
Kazuyoshi
K
Kawabata
a Department of Medical Oncology , Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research , Tokyo , Japan ;
Shunji
S
Takahashi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel
Salivary gland carcinoma; carboplatin; chemotherapy; paclitaxel