A Clinical Study Of 24 Cases Of Carcinoma Of Unknown Primary Site

Objectives: we retrospectively analyzed the clinical featrue of carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUP)and investigated the therapy and prognosis of carcinoma of unknown primary site.Methods: 24 patients with CUP were enrolled from May 2003 to November 2006 in second affiliated hospital of Zhejiang university college of medical. We investigated the relationships of median survival time and histologic types, method of therapy, numer of chemotherapy cycle, number of metastasis sites, liver metastasis and et al. We try to find factors that had an influence on prognosis by cox regression.Results: Median overall survival was 3.2 months(1.8 months -15.1 months), The median survival time was longer in patients with the histologic types of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma than in patients with undifferentiated neoplasms(3.6months, 3.0months, 2.0 months ). The median survival time was longer in patients treated with whole body hyperthermia combined with chemotherapy (taxane and platinum) than in patients treated with combination chemotherapy of taxane and platinum and patients with supportive treatment (5.6months, 2.9months, 2.2months) . The median survival time was longer in patients accepted over 2 cycles themotherapy than patients accepted less than 3 cycles themotherapy and patients of accepted supportive treatment (5.6 months, 3.3 months, 2.4 months) . The median survival time was longer inpatients of had less than 3 metastastic sites (5.6 months VS 2.6 months). Cox regression analysis indicated that method of therapy(P=0.011)and number of chemotherapy cycle (P=0. 008) are predictive factors. Conclusion: Histologic types, method of therapy, number of chemotherapy cycle, number of metastasis sites are factors that have an influence on median survival time. but Cox regression analysis indicated that method of therapy (P=0.011)and number of chemotherapy cycle(P=0.008) are predictive factors. Whole body hyperthermia combined with chemotherapy ( taxane and platinum) and chemtherpy of no less than 3 cycles bring longer suvival time for patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site.