Background: To provide real-world outcomes for the combination of etoposide and platinum as a first-line treatment for advanced thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms (TNENs).
Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on patients with advanced TNENs confirmed by pathology who received etoposide combined with platinum as a first-line chemotherapy in our institution between 2010 and 2022.
Results: A total of 16 patients were included in this study. Twelve patients (75%) received etoposide combined with cisplatin, and four patients (25%) received etoposide combined with carboplatin. Efficacy was evaluated in all patients, with an objective response rate of 31.3%. One patient achieved a complete response, four achieved a partial response, and in eight patients the disease remained stable; the disease control rate was 81.3%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.2 months with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.1-12.3 months. The median overall survival (OS) was 50.4 months with a 95% CI of 32.1-68.8 months. No significant difference in efficacy was observed between the treatment groups with regards to PFS (p = 0.095) and OS (p = 0.061). Treatment-related adverse events were observed in all 12 patients when evaluated for toxicity, manifesting as hematologic toxicity. Grade 3-4 bone marrow suppression occurred in six patients (50%). No treatment-related deaths were recorded.
Conclusion: This retrospective analysis, conducted in a real-life setting, suggests that the combination of etoposide and platinum has a promising anti-tumor activity in advanced TNENs, with a clinically significant overall response rate.
Keywords: efficacy; etoposide; platinum; safety; thymic neuroendocrine neoplasms.
© 2023 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.