Background: Despite the widespread use of oxaliplatin-based regimens for colorectal and other gastrointestinal cancers, there is surprisingly little information regarding their empiric use for the treatment of carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUP). In the current study, the combination of oxaliplatin and capecitabine in patients with recurrent and refractory CUP was examined.
Methods: Patients with CUP who had received at least 1 previous chemotherapy regimen were treated with oxaliplatin (130 mg/m(2) intravenously on Day 1) and capecitabine (1000 mg/m(2) orally twice daily on Days 1-14). Treatment cycles were repeated every 21 days. Patients with objective response or stable disease after 2 cycles continued treatment for 6 cycles or until disease progression.
Results: Nine of 48 patients (19%) had objective responses to treatment; an additional 22 patients had stable disease at the time of first re-evaluation. After a median follow-up of 17 months, the median progression-free and overall survivals were 3.7 months and 9.7 months, respectively. This regimen was reasonably well tolerated by most patients.
Conclusions: The combination of oxaliplatin and capecitabine was found to have activity as a salvage treatment for patients with CUP. This regimen should be considered in patients with clinical and pathologic features suggesting a primary site in the gastrointestinal tract. Further development of the regimen as a first-line therapy, or with bevacizumab added, is indicated.
(c) 2010 American Cancer Society.