Irinotecan plus carboplatin for patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site
2009

Irinotecan plus Carboplatin for Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Site

Sample size: 45 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Yonemori K, Ando M, Yunokawa M, Hirata T, Kouno T, Shimizu C, Tamura K, Katsumata N, Hirakawa A, Matsumoto K, Yamanaka Y, Arioka H, Fujiwara Y

Primary Institution: National Cancer Center Hospital

Hypothesis

The study aims to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of combined irinotecan and carboplatin therapy in chemotherapy-naive patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUP).

Conclusion

The combination of irinotecan plus carboplatin was found to be active and reasonably well tolerated in patients with CUP.

Supporting Evidence

  • An objective response rate of 41.9% was observed in the study.
  • The median time to progression was 4.8 months.
  • The median overall survival was 12.2 months.
  • 1- and 2-year survival rates were 44% and 27%, respectively.
  • The most frequent severe adverse events included neutropaenia and anaemia.

Takeaway

Doctors tested a new medicine combination to help patients with a type of cancer where they can't find the original tumor, and it worked pretty well.

Methodology

This phase II study involved administering irinotecan and carboplatin to chemotherapy-naive patients with CUP, with evaluations for efficacy and toxicity.

Potential Biases

The patient population may not represent all CUP patients, as those with poor prognostic features were excluded.

Limitations

The study may have potential bias due to the patient selection and the lack of a control group.

Participant Demographics

The median age of participants was 59 years, with a range from 36 to 78 years, and included both male and female patients.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.0001

Confidence Interval

95% CI, 27.0–57.9%

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/sj.bjc.6604829

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