A case of salvage combination chemotherapy of gemcitabine plus nedaplatin for squamous cell carcinoma of the ureter

Abstract A 46-year-old man complained of lower abdominal pain, and his abdominal and pelvic computed tomographic scan revealed left hydronephrosis and a huge tumor (9 X 9 cm) in the left distal ureter involving the left iliac vessel that was considered unresectable. Histological diagnosis showed squamous cell carcinoma, and histoculture drug response assay (HDRA) suggested the effectiveness of gemcitabine and nedaplatin. A cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of MEC (methotrexate 30 mg/ m2: day 1 and 15, epirubicin 50 mg/m2: day 1, and cisplatin 50 mg/m2: day 2 and 3) was performed as a first line chemotherapy, but the size of the ureteral tumor did not change. He was treated with 3 cycles of systematic combination chemotherapy consisting of gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2: day 1 and 8) and nedaplatin (80 mg/m2: day 1). After 2 courses of chemotherapy, the tumor size was reduced by 50% (PR; RECIST guidelines) and the tumor markers (SCC, CYFRA, NSE, CEA, and CA19-9) dropped to within the normal range. There were no serious adverse events except for grade 3 neutropenia which spontaneously recovered. However, because the tumor size was not reduced after the third cycle of chemotherapy, we applied external beam radiation to the primary lesion and the metastatic retroperitoneal lymph node site. No evidence of residual tumor progression has been found for 6 months after radiation therapy. We concluded that GN chemotherapy may be useful for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the ureter.