Combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin as first-line treatment for immunohistochemically proven cholangiocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety profile of gemcitabine plus cisplatin in patients with immunohistochemically proven unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between March 2002 and December 2004, a total of 24 patients with immunohistochemically proven cholangiocarcinoma were entered in this study. Treatment consisted of gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 intravenous infusion on day 1 and 8 and cisplatin 70 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 every 3 weeks.

RESULTS

Seventy-one cycles of treatment were given, with a median of 3 cycles (range, 2-6 cycles). Five patients had a partial response (PR), 12 patients had stable disease (SD), and 7 patients progressed during treatment. A median survival of 9.30 months (range, 6.43-12.17) was obtained hematologic and nonhematologic toxicities were generally acceptable. However, there was one treatment-related mortality caused by thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP) associated with gemcitabine and cisplatin.

CONCLUSIONS

The combination chemotherapy of gemcitabine and cisplatin had a modest effect and was a well tolerated treatment of patients with immunohistochemically proven metastatic or unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.