Complete remission of a radio-resistant cutaneous angiosarcoma of the scalp by systemic treatment with liposomal doxorubicin.

Abstract

We report an 80-year-old man suffering from an angiosarcoma of the scalp. Because of the wide extent of the lesions, surgery was not performed. Instead, the patient was treated with electron-beam radiation. Later, the patient failed to benefit from radiotherapy demonstrated by a local relapse and new malignant lesions. Additionally, a cervical lymph node metastasis appeared for the first time. Subsequently, we successfully administered liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx(R)). Shortly after administration of two cycles the scalp angiosarcoma showed a clear regression. Following six cycles, the patient clinically showed a complete remission of all skin lesions and the cervical lymph node; metastasis was confirmed by histology and fine needle aspiration, respectively. Liposomal and pegylated doxorubicin, a cytostatic drug belonging to the anthracyclines, has already shown to be effective and mostly well tolerated in the therapy of acquired immune deficiency syndrome-related Kaposi's sarcoma and very recently in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, too. Caelyx(R) appears to be a promising alternative to conventional treatment of cutaneous angiosarcoma.