Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and irinotecan in patients with adenocarcinoma of the small intestine

Background  Small-bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare tumor that has a poor response to chemotherapy and a poor prognosis. Treatment strategies for SBA have not been clearly established. Methods  All patients with SBA treated using a combination of cisplatin and irinotecan (IP) as first-line chemotherapy at the National Cancer Center Hospital in Japan between January 1999 and February 2007 were studied retrospectively. Results  Eight patients received IP as first-line chemotherapy. The median follow-up was 9.5 months (range, 4.2–37.5 months). The median number of cycles of IP was three (range, 1–5). The overall response rate (complete or partial response) was 12.5% (complete response, n = 0; partial response, n = 1). The disease control rate (complete or partial response or stable disease) was 75%. The median time to treatment failure was 4.5 months (95% confidence interval, 0.9–5.8 months), and overall survival was 17.3 months (range, 1.9–21.3 months). The most common adverse events were neutropenia and anorexia. Conclusion  IP combination chemotherapy may be an acceptable option for patients with SBA. Further studies are warranted to determine the optimal chemotherapeutic regimen for SBA.