Clinical effect of temozolomide-based chemotherapy in poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma after progression on first-line chemotherapy.

Background: Patients with metastatic poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma (PDEC) usually have a short survival. The chemotherapy combination of cisplatin and etoposide is frequently used as first-line palliative chemotherapy. There are, however, no published studies concerning second-line treatment of the disease.