A case of pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma responding to carboplatin and paclitaxel

A 59-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with dyspnea and cough. A large polypoid tumor was observed in the lower trachea and bronchoscopic polypectomy was performed using a snare to relieve symptoms. The tumor was diagnosed as a high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma mainly by the histology of piecemeal specimens obtained by bronchoscopic resection. The primary lesion involved the trachea and the main bronchus, and there were multiple metastases in the lung. The patient was treated with the combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel. After four cycles of chemotherapy, the tumors were significantly reduced. He remains well without evidence of tumor progression for 25 months. This case suggests that the combination chemotherapy of carboplatin and paclitaxel can be an option for treatment of pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma.