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Transient complete remission of metastasized Merkel cell carcinoma by high‐dose polychemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation
Author(s) -
Waldmann V.,
Goldschmidt H.,
Jäckel A.,
Deichmann M.,
Hegenbart U.,
Hartschuh W.,
Ho A.,
Näher H.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2000.03852.x
Subject(s) - medicine , etoposide , merkel cell carcinoma , chemotherapy , merkel cell , carboplatin , transplantation , metastasis , oncology , carcinoma , surgery , pathology , urology , cancer , cisplatin
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.