[Diffuse expression of KIT in a pulmonary artery sarcoma].

A 77-year-old woman presented with hoarseness and hemoptysis. Chest CT scan revealed a mediastinal tumor in the lumen of the left pulmonary artery. A definitive diagnosis could not be made based on mediastinoscopy and thoracotomy. Eight months later, multiple nodular shadows appeared in both lung fields.Video-assisted lung biopsy showed that these nodules were lung metastases of a spindle cell sarcoma. Based on the pathological and radiological findings, a pulmonary artery sarcoma was eventually diagnosed. Interestingly, on immunohistological staining, the tumor cells were diffusely positive for KIT, which is an immunohistochemical marker of gastrointestinal stromal tumors. The patient was treated with imatinib, a KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor; however, the tumors progressed. The relationship between pulmonary artery sarcoma and KIT requires further study.

Phase II study of carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a Kansai Clinical Oncology Group study.

The objective of this phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy in previously untreated, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients received paclitaxel at a dose of 70 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, 15, and carboplatin with the target dose of area under the curve (AUC) of 6 on day 1 every 28 days. Forty-six patients were enrolled. A median of four cycles (range, 1-13) were administered. Complete response was observed in one patient (2.2%) and partial response in 23 patients (50%), yielding an overall intent-to-treat response rate of 52.2% (95% confidence interval, 37.8-66.6%). The median survival time was 395 days and 1-year survival rate was 51.4%. Toxicities were mild. Twelve patients (26%) had grade 3 and three patients (7%) had grade 4 neutropenia. Grade 3 thrombocytopenia was seen in four patients (8%). Massive hematoemesis due to duodenal ulcer was observed in one patient, but no other patients experienced grade 3 or more non-hematological toxicities. There was no treatment-related death. Carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy is an efficacious and feasible regimen in patients with advanced NSCLC, and this treatment will be a reasonable alternative to the conventional triweekly regimen of paclitaxel and carboplatin.