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Bevacizumab in combination with paclitaxel and platinum for previously treated advanced thymic epithelial tumors

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Abstract

There are no optimal regimens for advanced thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) when frontline chemotherapy fails. In this study, we aimed to assess the activity of Bevacizumab in combination with a routine chemotherapeutic regimen. Patients with advanced TETs who had failed after previous chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. Paclitaxel (160 mg/m2) and cisplatin (70 mg/m2) or carboplatin (area under the curve, 6) plus Bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg) were intravenously injected on day 1.The treatment was repeated every 3 weeks until the disease progressed or intolerable toxicities occurred. Between March 2018 and August 2020, a total of 49 patients (21 thymoma and 28 thymic carcinoma) received the new treatment. There were 28 men and 21 women with a median age of 50 years (range: 21–73 years). The median number of cycles was 3 (range: 1–6) per patient. The objective response rate (ORR) for all patients was 43% (21/49). The ORRs for thymoma and thymic carcinoma were 24% and 57%, respectively. The median progression-free survival for thymoma and thymic carcinoma was 6 and 8 months, respectively. Hematological toxicities were the main side effects. Paclitaxel and platinum plus Bevacizumab showed promising effects in refractory or relapsed advanced TETs without severe toxicity. Even when applied as salvage therapy, this regimen resulted in a better ORR than frontline chemotherapy.

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Data Availability

Original data are available on request.

Abbreviations

TET:

Thymic epithelial tumor

ORR:

Objective response rate

CAP:

Cisplatin + doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide

ADOC:

Cisplatin + doxorubicin + vincristine + cyclophosphamide

EP:

Etoposide + cisplatin

ITMIG:

International Thymic Malignancies Interest Group

BV:

Bevacizumab

CT:

Computed tomography

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

LETC:

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma

PFS:

Progression-free survival

OS:

Overall survival

PR:

Partial response

SD:

Stable disease

PD:

Progressive disease

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Acknowledgements

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Author notes

  1. Chang-Lu Wang and Lan-Ting Gao have contributed equally to this study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 241, West Huaihai Road, Shanghai, 200030, China

    Chang-Lu Wang, Lan-Ting Gao, Chang-Xing Lyu, Qin Zhang, Wan-Qin Zeng & Xiao-Long Fu

  2. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

    Wen-Tao Fang

  3. Department of Pathology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

    Lei Zhu

Authors
  1. Chang-Lu Wang
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Correspondence to Xiao-Long Fu.

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All authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by our institutional ethics committee.

Informed consent

All patients gave their consent for receiving this new chemotherapy regimen and for the use of their information.

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Wang, CL., Gao, LT., Lyu, CX. et al. Bevacizumab in combination with paclitaxel and platinum for previously treated advanced thymic epithelial tumors. Med Oncol 39, 25 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-021-01620-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-021-01620-9

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