Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with adriamycin, cisplatin, vincristine and cyclophosphamide (ADOC) in invasive thymomas: results in six patients.

BACKGROUND: Locally advanced malignant thymomas are usually radically resectable in about 60% of stage III but hardly ever in stage IVA. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery could improve both resection rate and curability. Cisplatin containing regimens have repeatedly been found to be highly active in advanced disease, with overall response rates ranging from 80%-90%. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 3 patients with stage III and 3 with stage IVA invasive thymomas, according to Masaoka staging, entered the study. Histology was: lymphoepithelial 4 cases, epithelial 2 cases. 4 cycles of the ADOC scheme--Adriamycin (40 mg/sqm), cisplatin (50 mg/sqm) on day 1, vincristine (0.6 mg/sqm) on day 2, and cyclophosphamide (700 mg/sqm) on day 3, every 21 days--were administered to 5 patients, while 1 patient received 5 cycles. RESULTS: 5/6 patients (83.3%) attained partial responses and underwent radical surgery followed by two further ADOC cycles. The disease-free intervals were 5+, 6+, 15+, 16+, 26+ months. One patient showing stable disease at the end of the fifth cycle was referred to radiotherapy. Toxicity was tolerable: grade III (WHO) nausea/vomiting and leukopenia grade III occurred in 2 patients each. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the ADOC scheme is active as a neoadjuvant approach in invasive thymoma stages III and IVA, rendering possible radical resectability in 83% of patients.