BACKGROUND: Thymomas are rare neoplasms of the mediastinum. The role of chemotherapy in advanced thymomas is not fully established. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Lung Cancer Cooperative Group, 16 patients with recurrent or metastatic malignant thymoma were entered over 6 years onto a study of combination chemotherapy that consisted of cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on day 1 and etoposide 120 mg/m2 on days 1, 2, and 3, every 3 weeks. RESULTS: A median of six courses per patient was administered. Main side effects of treatment were leukopenia, nausea and vomiting, and alopecia. Five complete responses and four partial responses were obtained, with a median response duration of 3.4 years. The median progression-free survival and survival times were 2.2 years and 4.3 years, respectively, with a median follow-up duration of 7 years. CONCLUSION: The combination of cisplatin and etoposide is highly effective and well tolerated in advanced thymoma. The investigation of this combination in a neoadjuvant setting in unresectable invasive thymoma is warranted.
BACKGROUND:Thymomas are rare neoplasms of the mediastinum. The role of chemotherapy in advanced thymomas is not fully established. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Lung Cancer Cooperative Group, 16 patients with recurrent or metastatic malignant thymoma were entered over 6 years onto a study of combination chemotherapy that consisted of cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on day 1 and etoposide 120 mg/m2 on days 1, 2, and 3, every 3 weeks. RESULTS: A median of six courses per patient was administered. Main side effects of treatment were leukopenia, nausea and vomiting, and alopecia. Five complete responses and four partial responses were obtained, with a median response duration of 3.4 years. The median progression-free survival and survival times were 2.2 years and 4.3 years, respectively, with a median follow-up duration of 7 years. CONCLUSION: The combination of cisplatin and etoposide is highly effective and well tolerated in advanced thymoma. The investigation of this combination in a neoadjuvant setting in unresectable invasive thymoma is warranted.
Authors: Dwight Owen; Benjamin Chu; Amy M Lehman; Lakshmanan Annamalai; Jennifer H Yearley; Konstantin Shilo; Gregory A Otterson Journal: J Thorac Oncol Date: 2018-04-24 Impact factor: 15.609
Authors: H Kunitoh; T Tamura; T Shibata; K Takeda; N Katakami; K Nakagawa; A Yokoyama; Y Nishiwaki; K Noda; K Watanabe; N Saijo Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2010-06-15 Impact factor: 7.640
Authors: H Kunitoh; T Tamura; T Shibata; K Nakagawa; K Takeda; Y Nishiwaki; Y Osaki; K Noda; A Yokoyama; N Saijo Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2009-10-06 Impact factor: 7.640