Gemcitabine for salivary gland cancer – pro
Salivary gland cancers are very rare tumors. According to this rarity, few prospective data are available to date. No standard recommendations could be held for the use of systemic therapy in these tumors. Laureis did a study of the combination of gemcitabin with cisplatin (or carboplatin) in a phase II study including 33 patients with advanced SGC. Toxicity was within that expected for this combination, and 8 objective responses were observed (1 complete and 7 partial) for a response rate of 24%. The duration of response ranged from 1.3 to 11. 3 months, with a median of 6.7 months. As well, responses were observed in all common histologic subtypes. He concluded that the regimen may have promising activity in patients with adenocarcinoma histology.
A phase 2 study of platinum and gemcitabine in patients with advanced salivary gland cancer: a trial of the NCIC Clinical Trials Group.
Cancer. 2010 Jan 15; 116(2):362-8.
Aymen Lagha et al, Systemic therapy in the management of metastatic or advanced salivary gland cancers. Head Neck Oncol. 2012; 4: 19.