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- Title
Transient complete remission of metastasized Merkel cell carcinoma by high-dose polychemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
- Authors
Waldmann, V.; Goldschmidt, H.; Jäckel, A.; Deichmann, M.; Hegenbart, U.; Hartschuh, W.; Ho, A.; Näher, H.
- Abstract
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare cutaneous tumour with neuroendocrine differentiation. Metastasis occurs preferentially to regional lymph nodes but distant and multiple visceral metastases may occur. Chemotherapy has been performed with a variety of protocols based largely on agents active in small-cell lung cancer. Owing to the rarity of MCC, there is no standard protocol for the treatment of metastatic disease. We report a 59-year-old patient with systemic metastatic MCC. After diagnosis of distant metastases, first-line polychemotherapy (cisplatin 80 mg m-2, doxorubicin 50 mg m-2, etoposide 300 mg m-2 and bleomycin 30 mg) was administered four times at 3-weekly intervals and resulted in partial remission of metastases. Subsequently, high-dose chemotherapy according to the PEI regimen (ifosfamide 12 g m-2, carboplatin 900 mg m-2 and etoposide 1500 mg m-2) was applied, followed by autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ABSCT). This protocol resulted in a complete remission that lasted for 6 months. This is the first report on a complete remission of metastatic MCC after high-dose polychemotherapy and ABSCT. High-dose chemotherapy might be a therapeutic option in chemosensitive metastatic MCC, and further evaluation is warranted.
- Subjects
MERKEL cell carcinoma; LYMPH nodes; CYTOPLASMIC filaments; METASTASIS
- Publication
British Journal of Dermatology, 2000, Vol 143, Issue 4, p837
- ISSN
0007-0963
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1046/j.1365-2133.2000.03852.x