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Salvage chemotherapy with amrubicin and platinum for relapsed thymic carcinoma: experience in six cases

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Abstract

It has been reported that cisplatin-based chemotherapy shows beneficial effects in certain patients with advanced thymic carcinoma. However, the usefulness of salvage therapy has not been reported. We focused on a new anthracycline agent, amrubicin, combined with platinum compounds as salvage chemotherapy in patients with thymic carcinoma. Six cases of unresectable and locally advanced thymic carcinoma relapsed from prior cisplatin-containing chemotherapy were treated with amrubicin (30–40 mg/m2 day 1–3) plus platinum compounds (cisplatin 60 mg/m2 day 1 or nedaplatin 70 mg/m2 day 1) chemotherapy as salvage chemotherapy. Two patients showed a partial response. However, Grade 3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in all and two of the patients, respectively. We conclude that thymic carcinoma is sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy and that amrubicin appears to have significant activity against thymic carcinoma. The major toxicity is hematological toxicities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Internal Medicine, 3-1-1, Asahi Matsumoto, 390-8621, Matsumoto, Japan

    Tomonobu Koizumi, Toshihiko Agatsuma, Takashi Ichiyama, Toshiki Yokoyama, Atsuhito Ushiki, Yoshimichi Komatsu, Tsuyoshi Tanabe, Takashi Kobayashi, Sumiko Yoshikawa, Masanori Yasuo, Hiroshi Yamamoto & Keishi Kubo

  2. Respiratory Division of Internal Medicine, Suwa Red Cross Hospital, Suwa, Japan

    Tsutomu Hachiya

Authors
  1. Tomonobu Koizumi
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  2. Toshihiko Agatsuma
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  3. Takashi Ichiyama
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  4. Toshiki Yokoyama
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  13. Tsutomu Hachiya
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Correspondence to Tomonobu Koizumi.

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Koizumi, T., Agatsuma, T., Ichiyama, T. et al. Salvage chemotherapy with amrubicin and platinum for relapsed thymic carcinoma: experience in six cases. Med Oncol 27, 392–396 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-009-9223-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-009-9223-y

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