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World J Clin Oncol. Jul 10, 2012; 3(7): 111-115
Published online Jul 10, 2012. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v3.i7.111
Published online Jul 10, 2012. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v3.i7.111
Everolimus plus long-acting somatostatin analogs in thymic epithelial malignancies
Giovannella Palmieri, Carlo Buonerba, Piera Federico, Luigi Formisano, Lucia Nappi, Giuseppe Di Lorenzo, Vincenzo Damiano, Dipartimento di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Clinica e Molecolare, Università Federico II, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Giovannella Palmieri, Giuseppe Di Lorenzo, Vincenzo Damiano, Centro Regionale Tumori Rari (Regional Center for Rare Tumors), University Federico II, 80128 Naples, Italy
Mirella Marino, Department of Pathology, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144 Rome, Italy
Author contributions: Palmieri G and Damiano V originally conceived the treatment; Buonerba C drafted the manuscript; Palmieri G, Buonerba C and Di Lorenzo G critically revised the manuscript; Palmieri G, Buonerba C, Federico P, Formisano L, Nappi L, and Damiano V followed up the patients; Marino M performed additional histological examinations of tumor samples.
Correspondence to: Giovannella Palmieri, PhD, Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology and Oncology Department, University Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80128 Naples, Italy. giovpalm@unina.it
Telephone: +39-817462114 Fax: +39-817462114
Received: March 5, 2012
Revised: June 19, 2012
Accepted: June 30, 2012
Published online: July 10, 2012
Revised: June 19, 2012
Accepted: June 30, 2012
Published online: July 10, 2012
Abstract
Although thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare in the general population, they represent the most frequently diagnosed primary malignant tumor of the anterior mediastinum. Unlike localized disease, metastatic disease is invariably fatal. While several chemotherapy agents have proven to be effective in TETs, somatostatin analogs are the only targeted agents with an established role in this disease. Everolimus is an mTOR inhibitor with multiple application in oncology. In this report, we show for the first time that everolimus was effective in two heavily pretreated patients with advanced TETs, with a progression-free survival longer than 1 year and minimal toxicity.
Keywords: Thymoma, Everolimus, mTOR, Mediastinum, Target