Unexpected rapid progression of metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma during treatment with imatinib mesylate

✍ Scribed by Ching-Hung Lin; Roh-Fan Yen; Yung-Ming Jeng; Chin-Yuan Tzen; Chiun Hsu; Ruey-Long Hong

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 182 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1043-3074
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.20274

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background.

There is a lack of effective treatment for metastatic adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a usually indolent tumor. We studied the efficacy of imatinib mesylate, a potent inhibitor of KIT tyrosine kinase, in patients with KIT‐positive metastatic ACC.

Methods.

Five patients with lung metastasis were treated in a pilot study with imatinib 400 mg by mouth twice a day. Mutations of c‐kit and platelet‐derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)‐α in tumors from these patients were analyzed.

Results.

Disease progression was noted in three of five patients during the short treatment periods, ranging from 2 to 3 weeks. Three patients died of disease within 6 months. No detectable mutations were found in c‐kit and PDGFR‐α.

Conclusion.

We observed an unexpected high progression rate of metastatic ACC within short periods during imatinib treatment. Use of imatinib to treat cancers without c‐kit or PDGFR‐α mutation should be approached with caution. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 27: XXX–XXX, 2005