Two Cases of Malignant Pheochromocytoma Treated with Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine and Dacarbazine in a Combined Chemotherapy

Abstract

Two patients with malignant pheochromocytoma were treated with a combination chemotherapy regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dacarbazine (CVD). With the first few cycles of the treatment, one patient, a 29-year-old man had a marked improvement of clinical symptoms and decreases in tumor size and catecholamine levels in plasma and urine. He had been in a clinically stable condition for 18 months but died 34 months after starting of this treatment because the CVD regimen became ineffective and rapid growth of the metastatic tumors occurred. The other patient, a 35-year-old man showed no significant change in tumor size but decreases in hormonal levels in response to CVD regimen. The patient has been in clinically stable condition in a follow-up of 24 months. The combined chemotherapy with CVD appears to be effective for advanced malignant pheochromocytoma.