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

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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.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Preston Steen for his excellent care in collaboration of patient 4 and Dr. Peter Wiernik for his review of this manuscript were acknowledged. This work was supported in part by Renal Cancer Research Fund, Cancer Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oncology, New York Medical College, Montefiore, North Division, 600 East 233rd Street, Bronx, NY, 10466, USA

    Janice P. Dutcher

  2. Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, 525 E 68th St., Ste 359, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    David Nanus

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  1. Janice P. Dutcher
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  2. David Nanus
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Correspondence to Janice P. Dutcher.

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Dutcher, J.P., Nanus, D. Long-term survival of patients with sarcomatoid renal cell cancer treated with chemotherapy. Med Oncol 28, 1530–1533 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-010-9649-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-010-9649-2

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