Vol.54 No.6 November 2006
Combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin (TJ therapy) for primary adenocarcinoma of unknown origin
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University Medical Center,
Omori Hospital, 6-11-1 Omorinishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
In clinical practice, we frequently see patients with metastatic cancer in which the primary site remains unknown. We combined chemotherapy consisting of paclitaxel (TXL) and carboplatin (CBDCA) in four patients with primary cancer of unknown origin: 2 men and 2 women, median age of 58 years, histopatholo-gically diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. TXL (200 mg/m2, day 1) and CBDCA (target AUC: 6 mg/mL/min, day 1) were given every 3 weeks. We observed a partial response (PR) in 1 patient, stable disease (SD) in 2, and an unevaluable in 1. The PR patient remains alive 2 years after therapy. One SD patient survived 20 months, and the nonevaluable patient 2 months. The second patient with SD was not followed beyond 15 months after chemotherapy completion.
CBDCA-based combination chemotherapy is recommended for treating of primary cancer of unknown origin. Despite some success, much room remains for improvement. Further clinical trials are essential to achieve better survival and a more favorable prognosis for these patients.
Key word
adenocarcinoma of unknown origin, combination chemotherapy, paclitaxel, carboplatin
Received
July 14, 2006
Accepted
September 8, 2006
Jpn. J. Chemother. 54 (6): 535-537, 2006
