Two consecutive cases of platinum-refractory pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma that showed dramatic responses to MAID (mesna, doxorubicin, ifosfamide and dacarbazine) chemotherapy

Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2011 Mar;41(3):430-3. doi: 10.1093/jjco/hyq180. Epub 2010 Oct 5.

Abstract

When oncologists encounter patients with pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma, most cases have recurrent disease after surgery or metastatic disease. Previous studies have suggested that patients with pleomorphic carcinoma have extremely poor responses to chemotherapy regimens commonly used for non-small cell lung cancer and have a dismal prognosis. This report describes two consecutive patients with platinum-refractory pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma who received doxorubicin, ifosfamide plus dacarbazine chemotherapy. Both patients showed dramatic responses to this combination chemotherapy and the treatment effect was sustained for 7 and 9 months, respectively. Our report strongly suggests that the treatment approaches to patients with pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma should differ from the approaches to patients with other common types of non-small cell lung cancer. Doxorubicin, ifosfamide plus dacarbazine chemotherapy may have an important role in the treatment of patients with pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • Dacarbazine / administration & dosage
  • Doxorubicin / administration & dosage
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ifosfamide / administration & dosage
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Mesna / administration & dosage
  • Middle Aged
  • Organoplatinum Compounds / adverse effects
  • Salvage Therapy*
  • Survival Rate
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Organoplatinum Compounds
  • Dacarbazine
  • Doxorubicin
  • Mesna
  • Ifosfamide