Can thymidine phosphorylase be a predictive marker for gemcitabine and doxifluridine combination chemotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma?: case series

Medicine (Baltimore). 2014 Dec;93(28):e305. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000000305.

Abstract

Unresectable cholangiocarcinoma is poorly responded to chemotherapy, especially for the case refractory to gemcitabine and cisplatin. Here, we tested whether high expression of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) can be a predictive biomarker for the indicator for gemcitabine and doxifluridine combination chemotherapy in the cholangiocarcinoma refractory to gemcitabine and cisplatin. Immunohistochemical staining for TP was performed with a biopsy specimen. We accepted the result as positive when more than 10% of cancer cells were stained with moderate intensity. Here, we report 2 cases of TP-positive cholangiocarcinoma well controlled with gemcitabine and doxifluridine combination chemotherapy, which had been refractory to the first line treatment with gemcitabine and cisplatin combination chemotherapy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / diagnosis
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / drug therapy
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / enzymology*
  • Deoxycytidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Deoxycytidine / therapeutic use
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Floxuridine / therapeutic use*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Gemcitabine
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Middle Aged
  • Thymidine Phosphorylase / blood*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Floxuridine
  • Deoxycytidine
  • Thymidine Phosphorylase
  • doxifluridine
  • Gemcitabine