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Complete remission of a radio‐resistant cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp by systemic treatment with liposomal doxorubicin
Author(s) -
Eiling S.,
Lischner S.,
Busch JO.,
Rothaupt D.,
Christophers E.,
Hauschild A.
Publication year - 2002
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.1365-2133.2002.04726.x
Subject(s) - medicine , angiosarcoma , scalp , radiation therapy , doxorubicin , hemangiosarcoma , lymph node , sarcoma , metastasis , chemotherapy , surgery , cancer , pathology
Summary We report an 80‐year‐old man suffering from an angiosarcoma of the scalp. Because of the wide extent of the lesions, surgery was not performed. Instead, the patient was treated with electron‐beam radiation. Later, the patient failed to benefit from radiotherapy demonstrated by a local relapse and new malignant lesions. Additionally, a cervical lymph node metastasis appeared for the first time. Subsequently, we successfully administered liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx ® ). Shortly after administration of two cycles the scalp angiosarcoma showed a clear regression. Following six cycles, the patient clinically showed a complete remission of all skin lesions and the cervical lymph node; metastasis was confirmed by histology and fine needle aspiration, respectively. Liposomal and pegylated doxorubicin, a cytostatic drug belonging to the anthracyclines, has already shown to be effective and mostly well tolerated in the therapy of acquired immune deficiency syndrome‐related Kaposi's sarcoma and very recently in cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma, too. Caelyx ® appears to be a promising alternative to conventional treatment of cutaneous angiosarcoma.