Efficacy of weekly docetaxel in locally advanced cardiac angiosarcoma

BMC Res Notes. 2015 Jul 30:8:325. doi: 10.1186/s13104-015-1296-4.

Abstract

Background: Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is extremely aggressive; however, it is often misdiagnosed because of its rarity. For locally advanced tumors, doxorubicin-based chemotherapy regimens are the standard of treatment, even if the gain in term of progression-free survival is limited and is no longer than 5 months.

Case presentation: We report the case of a Caucasian 23-year-old man with locally advanced cardiac angiosarcoma who underwent radical surgical resection after a prolonged response to weekly docetaxel and complementary radiotherapy.

Conclusion: Combined treatment with weekly docetaxel and radiotherapy may be a valid alternative for the treatment of locally advanced cardiac angiosarcoma; the combination can lead to radical surgical resections, avoiding the cumulative cardiotoxicity of antracycline-based regimens.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Combined Modality Therapy / methods*
  • Docetaxel
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Gamma Rays / therapeutic use*
  • Heart Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Neoplasms / pathology
  • Heart Neoplasms / surgery
  • Heart Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Hemangiosarcoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Hemangiosarcoma / pathology
  • Hemangiosarcoma / surgery
  • Hemangiosarcoma / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Taxoids / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ultrasonography
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Taxoids
  • Docetaxel