Docetaxel for platinum-refractory advanced thymic carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Medical Oncology

Background:

• Thymic carcinoma is a rare mediastinal neoplasm.
• Platinum-based chemotherapy is effective for advanced thymic carcinoma.
• Limited data exists on salvage chemotherapy for platinum-refractory thymic carcinoma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy and safety of docetaxel monotherapy.
• To evaluate docetaxel as a salvage treatment for platinum-refractory thymic carcinoma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 13 thymic carcinoma patients.
• Patients received docetaxel monotherapy in second- or later-line settings.
• Treatment occurred between January 2003 and April 2014.

Main Results:

• Overall response rate was 31% (95% CI, 6-56%).
• Disease control rate was 77% (95% CI, 54-100%).
• Median progression-free survival was 5.5 months; median overall survival was 24.0 months.
• Most common Grade ≥3 toxicity was neutropenia (62%); no febrile neutropenia or treatment-related deaths occurred.

Conclusions:

• Docetaxel is active against platinum-refractory thymic carcinoma.
• Docetaxel monotherapy demonstrates acceptable toxicity.
• Docetaxel may be a promising therapeutic option for this patient group.