Journal Article

Feasibility and efficacy of combined cisplatin plus irinotecan chemotherapy for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas

Shen, L., Lu, Z. H., Gong, J. F., Wang, X. C., Zhang, X. T., Li, J., Li, Y., Lu, M., Gao, J., Zhou, J.

2013

Overview

No standard treatment is currently available for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (GEP-NEC). Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the effect of the combination of irinotecan and cisplatin in the treatment of GEP-NECs. Clinical data of 16 locally advanced or metastatic GEP-NEC patients treated with irinotecan plus cisplatin regimen in our center from September 2009 to August 2011 were reviewed. The regimen included 2-week cycles of 180 mg/m 2 irinotecan and 50 mg/m 2 cisplatin on day 1. Median age was 57 years. The overall response rate was 57.1 %, with a disease control rate of 78.6 %. One patient achieved pathologic complete response and underwent esophagectomy after chemotherapy. Two patients who had gotten progressive disease were given sequential octreotide long-acting release (LAR) treatment and got disease progression again within 1 month. Six patients who achieved disease control received octreotide LAR as maintenance treatment. The total number of cycles of octreotide was 41, with a median of 4.5 (3–20 cycles). The progression-free survival was 5.5 months, with overall survival of 10.6 months. Grades 3–4 hematological adverse events (AEs) occurred in 10 patients (62.5 %) and 3 patients (18.7 %) suffered grades 3–4 non-hematological AEs; no patient died of AEs. The irinotecan plus cisplatin chemotherapy is moderately effective and tolerable well tolerated in advanced or metastatic GEP-NEC patients; octreotide LAR may be a good maintenance treatment and should be considered as a treatment option for these patients in the future.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adult / Aged / Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects / Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use / Camptothecin - administration & dosage / Camptothecin - adverse effects / Camptothecin - analogs & derivatives / Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine - drug therapy / Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine - mortality / Cisplatin - administration & dosage / Cisplatin - adverse effects / Disease Progression / Disease-Free Survival / Female / Hematology / Humans / Internal Medicine / Male / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Middle Aged / Oncology / Original Paper / Pathology