Long-term survival of patients with sarcomatoid renal cell cancer treated with chemotherapy

Med Oncol. 2011 Dec;28(4):1530-3. doi: 10.1007/s12032-010-9649-2. Epub 2010 Aug 18.

Abstract

Sarcomatoid renal cell cancer is associated with a very poor prognosis, characterized by rapid progression of advanced disease. We previously reported the outcome of 18 patients with advanced sarcomatoid renal cell cancer treated with a regimen consisting of doxorubicin, 50 mg/m2 and gemcitabine, 1,500-2,000 mg/m2, administered every two weeks with growth factor support (A/G). Among the 18 patients, there were two complete and 5 partial responses and two patients with stable disease of more than 6 months of duration. We now report long-term survival of 4 patients with stage IV sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma treated with this regimen at the 1,500 mg/m2 dose of gemcitabine, and achieving complete response (2 patients), or rendered complete responders following surgery after maximum response (2 patients). The two complete responders are alive, disease free at 6+ and 8+ years after starting A/G, and the 2 patients rendered CR by surgery survived 3½ and 6 years, respectively. Both died of progressive disease, one with clear cell recurrence, one with sarcomatoid recurrence. In summary, this regimen is associated with a high response rate, overall improvement in progression free survival and occasional meaningful long-term survival in a disease expected to be fatal within one year.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / mortality*
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / pathology
  • Deoxycytidine / administration & dosage
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives
  • Doxorubicin / administration & dosage
  • Female
  • Gemcitabine
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Kidney Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Kidney Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Deoxycytidine
  • Doxorubicin
  • Gemcitabine