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Successful treatment of adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis with intensified chemotherapy

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Abstract

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease in adults. The treatment strategy for this condition remains controversial. Intensified systemic chemotherapy is required in pediatric patients with the multiple system form of LCH (MS-LCH) for aggressive forms of the disease. Recent clinical trials have shown that intensified chemotherapy for pediatric patients diagnosed with MS-LCH results in improved outcomes. However, whether the feasibility and efficacy of an intensified systemic chemotherapy regimen are also beneficial for adult patients with MS-LCH remains unclear. Here, we report two cases of adult MS-LCH that were successfully treated with an intensified treatment protocol as used in pediatric patients. One patient fully completed the protocol, and has since maintained a complete response (CR) for 2 years following completion of the treatment. The other patient also achieved CR after induction therapy, and is now undergoing maintenance therapy in an outpatient clinic. The cases presented in this study suggest that intensified systemic chemotherapy as used for pediatric patients with MS-LCH is well tolerated and effective for adult patients as well.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Akira Morimoto (Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Shimotsuke, Japan) and Dr. Koichi Ohshima (Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kurume University, Kurume, Japan) for the advice and expertise in the cases presented in this report. The authors have declared no conflicts of interest in the present study. This work was supported in part by a MEXT KAKENHI Grant (number 25461453) to K. Kato.

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared no conflicts of interest in the present study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Biosystemic Science, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Science, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan

    Mariko Minami, Takahiro Shima, Koji Kato, Kenji Tsuchihashi, Seido Oku, Tomonori Shimokawa, Taro Tochigi, Goichi Yoshimoto, Kenjiro Kamezaki, Toshihiro Miyamoto & Koichi Akashi

  2. Department of Anatomic Pathology, Pathological Sciences, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Science, Fukuoka, Japan

    Hidetaka Yamamoto & Yoshinao Oda

  3. Center for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Science, Fukuoka, Japan

    Katsuto Takenaka, Hiromi Iwasaki & Koichi Akashi

Authors
  1. Mariko Minami
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  2. Takahiro Shima
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  3. Koji Kato
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  4. Hidetaka Yamamoto
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  5. Kenji Tsuchihashi
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  6. Seido Oku
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  7. Tomonori Shimokawa
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  8. Taro Tochigi
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  9. Goichi Yoshimoto
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  10. Kenjiro Kamezaki
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  11. Katsuto Takenaka
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  12. Hiromi Iwasaki
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  13. Yoshinao Oda
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  14. Toshihiro Miyamoto
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  15. Koichi Akashi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Koji Kato.

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Minami, M., Shima, T., Kato, K. et al. Successful treatment of adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis with intensified chemotherapy. Int J Hematol 102, 244–248 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-015-1778-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-015-1778-0

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