Irinotecan-based combination chemotherapy for metastatic small intestinal adenocarcinoma

Metastatic small intestinal adenocarcinoma (SIA) is rare among digestive tract malignancies, and a standard therapy has yet to be established. The present study described a patient who was treated with irinotecan-based chemotherapy. A 67-year-old woman with a long history of anemia was diagnosed as having SIA using small bowel endoscopy. Tumor invasion of the mesentery and multiple metastases to the lungs and peritoneal lymph nodes were detected. Nine courses of chemotherapy, each consisting of bolus infusion of 5-fluorouracil at 500 mg/m², plus infusion of irinotecan at 100 mg/m² with l-leucovorin at 20 mg/m² on days 1, 8 and 15, were administered at 4-weekly intervals postoperatively. After two courses, the metastatic nodules in the lungs showed a decrease in number and size, and this response continued for over 6 months. Adverse events were manageable during this period. The patient succumbed to the disease 12 months after the initial diagnosis. The present results therefore suggest that irinotecan-based chemotherapy is a potential treatment for metastatic SIA.