Haemorrhagic hydrops of the gallbladder

Primary carcinoma of the fallopian tube is uncommon; optimal primary treatment is still not well defined, and little information is available about the efficacy of cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Thirty-eight patients with fallopian tube carcinoma were treated with cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2), Adriamycin (50 mg/m2), and cisplatin (50 mg/m2) (CAP). Thirty-two patients received the combination chemotherapy as first-line treatment after cytoreductive surgery, whereas six subjects were treated for recurrent disease. The patients received a median of six cycles of therapy (range, four to nine). At the initiation of chemotherapy, 24 patients had measurable lesions. In this group of patients, 15 had a clinical complete response (CR), four had a partial response (PR), three had stable disease (SD), and two had progressive disease (PD) after chemotherapy. The overall clinical response rate (CR + PR) was 80%. Ten of the 14 CR patients who were submitted to second-look operation (SLO) were found free of disease, in pathologic complete response (pCR). Three pCR patients relapsed, and two of them died despite second-line treatment. Nine patients achieving PR, SD, and PD after first-line chemotherapy were further treated (five with chemotherapy, two with radiotherapy, two with progesteron), but none responded to second-line treatment and all died (median survival, 9 months). Fourteen patients without gross residual disease after cytoreductive surgery had no measurable lesions and were not evaluable for response. Seven of them had negative SLO and remain disease free. Three patients (two stage III and one stage II) who refused SLO relapsed 14, 16, and 26 months after completion of chemotherapy. The median survival for the entire group was 38 months, and the 5-year survival rate was 35%. The toxicity of the regimen was moderate. The CAP regimen appears to be active in primary fallopian tube carcinoma and yields response rates comparable to those reported for epithelial ovarian cancer.     

Modulation of vinblastine resistance in metastatic renal cell carcinoma with cyclosporine A or tamoxifen: a cancer and leukemia group B study

Multidrug resistance mediated by P-glycoprotein may be an important cause of chemotherapy failure. Renal cell carcinoma is a disease known to demonstrate a high degree of intrinsic chemotherapy drug resistance, and this has been shown to be related to intrinsic overexpression of P-glycoprotein. Cyclosporine A and tamoxifen have been shown to reverse multidrug resistance in renal cell carcinoma cell lines in vitro. Phase I studies have defined appropriate doses of cyclosporine A and tamoxifen that can be combined with continuous-infusion vinblastine and safely achieve serum levels associated in vitro with resistance reversal. A randomized Phase II study was carried out by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B to evaluate the potential of high doses of cyclosporine A or tamoxifen to modulate clinical vinblastine resistance in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Patients were treated initially with continuous-infusion vinblastine alone (1.2 mg/m2/day for 4 days or 1.5 mg/m2/day for 5 days); patients with stable or progressive disease were then treated with the same vinblastine regimen, combined with a high-dose regimen of either cyclosporine A (12.5 mg/kg/day for 5 days) or tamoxifen (400 mg/m2 as a loading dose and 300 mg/m2/day for 13 days). Sixty-three patients were randomized to each arm. Eighty patients on both arms were evaluable for response to vinblastine alone; of these, only one patient achieved a partial response. Thirty-three patients went on to be treated with vinblastine and high-dose cyclosporine A. No responses were observed, although four patients with progressive disease on prior vinblastine achieved stabilization of disease after cyclosporine A was added. Addition of cyclosporine resulted in more leukopenia (5% versus 25%) and in transient hyperbilirubinemia (24%) and neurocortical changes (11%). No significant azotemia was observed. Thirty-five patients received high-dose tamoxifen with continuous-infusion vinblastine. One complete remission was seen in a patient who had stable disease only with prior vinblastine alone; no other responses were observed. Leukopenia was not more severe with the addition of tamoxifen to vinblastine, nor was hyperbilirubinemia observed. However, 9% of patients developed transient ataxia with or without neurocortical changes as a result of high-dose tamoxifen therapy, and 11% developed phlebitis. We conclude that advanced renal cell carcinoma is a highly chemoresistant tumor, that continuous-infusion vinblastine has no appreciable activity in the therapy of this disease, and that addition of high doses of cyclosporine A or tamoxifen was not able to modulate this resistance in these patients. Suggestions regarding study design for future drug resistance modulation trials were made based on the design and conduct of this study.     

Final report of a phase II study of chemotherapy with bleomycin, epirubicin, and cisplatin for locally advanced and metastatic/recurrent undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharyngeal type

PURPOSE: This article presents an assessment of the combination of bleomycin, epirubicin, and cisplatin as induction chemotherapy before radiotherapy in the treatment of undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharyngeal type in patients with recurrent/metastatic disease (group A), and in previously untreated patients with locoregionally advanced disease (UICC-AJCC 87, N2-3, M0) (group B) in terms of toxicity, antitumoral activity, and therapeutic efficacy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1987 to September 1990, 111 consecutive patients with histologically proven UCNT were treated with six cycles of intravenous cisplatin (100 mg/m2 day 1) epirubicin (80 mg/m2 day 1), and bleomycin (15 mg bolus day 1), followed by 16 mg/m2/day continuous infusion for 5 days, repeated every 21 days for three cycles. Three further cycles without bleomycin were given to 44 patients in group A. In group B (67 patients), only three cycles of the same protocol were given, with a slightly lower dose of epirubicin (70 mg/m2), followed by conventional radiotherapy (70 Gy/7 weeks). RESULTS: Of 44 patients entered in group A, 38 were evaluable for response. We observed 9 (20%) complete responses and 11 (25%) partial responses, for a 45% overall response rate. In 12 patients not previously given chemotherapy, there were 4 complete responses, compared to 5 complete responses in 32 patients previously treated with chemotherapy. Four patients are alive with no evidence of disease after 53+, 60+, 61+, and 72+ months. In group B the overall response rate to chemotherapy was 98% with 42 complete (62%) and 24 partial responses (36%). Three months after the end of radiotherapy, the overall complete response rate was 94% (63 patients). After a median follow-up time of 77 months (range, 53-94), the 4-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates for this group are 66% and 60%, respectively. The median disease-free survival has not been reached at 90 months. CONCLUSION: The results of the BEC combination trial are very encouraging in metastatic and recurrrent UCNT, with durable remissions in this poor-prognosis population. The results in patients with locally advanced disease have motivated prospective phase III testing of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy approach to evaluate its impact on locoregionally advanced disease (> or =N2MO UICC-AJCC 87).     

A phase II trial of amonafide in patients with nonsquamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. A Gynecologic Oncology Group study

Twenty-seven patients with nonsquamous cell carcinoma of the cervix were entered into a Phase II study of amonatide; 24 patients were evaluable for toxicity, while 23 were evaluable for response. Patients received amonafide, 300 mg/m2, intravenously for 5 consecutive days every 3 weeks. The median age of patients was 45 years. All but two patients were completely ambulatory. Twelve patients had received prior chemotherapy, while 22 had been treated with radiation therapy. One of 27 (4.3%) patients had a partial response (PR) to this regimen and 13 (56.5%) had stable disease. Sixteen patients experienced a median white blood cell (WBC) nadir of 350/mm3, seven developed life-threatening thrombocytopenia, and one had severe anemia requiring transfusion. Nonhematologic toxicity was mild. Amonafide had insignificant activity in these patients with nonsquamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.     

Preliminary report of the activity of docetaxel in advanced or recurrent squamous cell cancer of the cervix

Eighteen patients with squamous cell cancer of the cervix were treated with i.v. docetaxel 100 mg/m2 over 1 h every 21 days. No patient received prior chemotherapy, except as a radiation sensitizer. Median age was 42 years (range 30-58) and Zubrod performance status was 1 (0-2). Ten (59%) patients had prior surgery and 11 (65%) had prior radiation therapy. Sixteen patients were evaluable for response. Two patients had a partial response (13%; 95% CI 0-32%) and eight (50%; 95% CI 23-77%) had stable disease. Dose reduction to 75 mg/m2 was required in 10 patients and to 55 mg/m2 in one patient. Granulocytopenia was the major hematopoietic toxicity (31% grade 3 and 44% grade 4). Docetaxel is active in patients with squamous cell cancer of the cervix and may be tolerable at this dose schedule.     

Pre-operative chemotherapy and radiotherapy in breast cancer

Primary systemic treatment of breast cancer with cytotoxics yields a high response rate and allows conservative surgical procedures in bulky tumours. In order to maximise local control of disease, two innovations were introduced in a pilot study. The first was to identify the good responders after three cycles of chemotherapy and to treat them with three additional cycles. The second was to also give this group of patients a full dose of radiotherapy before surgery with the aim of verifying the rate of pathological complete remissions in view of a possible treatment of breast primary with chemoradiotherapy only. Patients were treated with doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide, 600 mg/m2 both intravenously on day 1, every 21 days for three courses. Partial or complete responders received three more courses followed by radiotherapy (50 Gy plus a 10 Gy boost). The others underwent immediate surgery. A total of 32 patients (median age, 50 years; range 28-69 years); performance status, 0-1; T2 22, T3 8, T4 2) were enrolled and were evaluable for response and side-effects. 9 patients had only three cycles of chemotherapy due to absence of response and 23 patients had six cycles of chemotherapy. Overall, 7 patients had a complete remission, 16 a partial remission and 9 had stable disease, for an overall response rate of 72% (95% confidence interval 53-86%). In the group of patients that completed the programme, two complete pathological remissions were observed and 5 patients had only microfoci of tumour. No toxic death or grade III-IV toxicities were observed. Mild or moderate side-effects included mucositis, nausea/vomiting and leucopenia. In conclusion, our results indicate that the addition of radiotherapy to pre-operative chemotherapy did not significantly enhance the incidence of pathological complete remissions. New primary treatment approaches should be explored in this subset of patients in order to improve outcome.     

An EORTC-ECSG phase II study of vinorelbine in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

BACKGROUND: Vinorelbine is an active drug in the treatment of lung and breast cancers and has a favorable toxicity profile. Many clinical trials have demonstrated its antitumor activity in other tumor types including squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). We investigated the efficacy and tolerability of vinorelbine in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN, previously untreated by chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-one patients with locoregional recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN were treated with vinorelbine at a dose of 30 mg/m2/week i.v. by short-duration infusion on an out-patient basis. Doses were adjusted according to tolerance. RESULTS: Two complete and seven partial responses were observed among 56 evaluable patients, yielding a response rate of 16% (95% confidence interval (CI): 8%-28%). The overall response rate of all eligible patients (63) was 14%. The responses were seen in recurrent tumors, lymph nodes and in lung metastases, and their median duration was 19 weeks (12-63). The main toxicity, severe and reversible neutropenia (grade 3-4) occurred in 53% of the 69 evaluable (for toxicity) patients. Twelve patients developed severe bronchopulmonary infections, which caused two early deaths. Constipation was observed in 31 patients (45%). Other gastrointestinal toxicities, asthenia, acute pain syndrome and peripheral sensory neuropathy, were mild to moderate. The median number of treatments was seven cycles and the median relative dose intensity of vinorelbine was 85% (25.5 mg/m2/week). CONCLUSIONS: Vinorelbine is an active drug, with acceptable toxicity, in recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN, at the dose and schedule administered in the present study. Further evaluation in association with other agents and/or radiotherapy is warranted.     

Results of a phase II trial with second-line cystemustine at 60 mg/m2 in advanced soft tissue sarcoma: a trial of the EORTC Early Clinical Studies Group

The aim of this phase II trial was to examine the efficacy of a new nitrosourea, cystemustine, in soft tissue sarcoma. Between January 1990 and March 1991, 32 pretreated patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma were enrolled. Cystemustine was given every 2 weeks at 60 mg/m2 via a 15-min i.v. infusion. All eligible patients were considered evaluable for response and toxicity (WHO criteria). Of the 32 enrolled patients, 4 were ineligible, leaving 28 evaluable patients. All but 1 had been pretreated: 6 with adjuvant chemotherapy, 18 patients with first-line palliative chemotherapy without nitrosourea, 3 with both treatments, and 18 had received radiotherapy. Median age was 54 years (range 20-73) and median performance status was 1 (0-2). One partial response (PR, duration 12 weeks), 2 stable disease and 25 progressions were observed, giving an overall response rate of 3.57% (confidence interval: 0.1-18.4%). Toxicity was mild, and was mainly neutropenia (no grade 3 or 4), thrombocytopenia (3.57% grade 3 and grade 4) and nausea-vomiting (no grade 3 or 4). It should be noted that the treatment for the patient who obtained a PR was third line with no previous response. Cystemustine with this schedule appears to have a low clinical activity and toxicity in advanced soft tissue sarcoma.     

Phase II clinical and pharmacological study of pirarubicin in combination with 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide in metastatic breast cancer

Doxorubicin containing combination chemotherapy regimens are widely used for treatment of breast and other cancers. However, these regimens are associated with significant toxicities including myocardial dysfunction and alopecia. Analogues of doxorubicin are being developed to reduce these side effects. We conducted a Phase II trial of an anthracycline analogue, pirarubicin, administered in combination with 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide every 3 weeks, as front-line chemotherapy in women with metastatic breast cancer. Patients who had received prior anthracycline therapy were excluded. The chemotherapy doses were as follows: 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8), pirarubicin (50 mg/m2 on day 1), and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2 on day 1). Among 40 evaluable patients treated on this protocol, a major response (partial or complete remission) was observed in 26 patients (response rate, 62%; 95% confidence interval, 46-77). The median response duration was 8 months, and median survival was 16 months. Grade III/IV myelosuppression occurred in 81% of the courses. The median cumulative pirarubicin dose was 410 (range, 90-870) mg/m2. A significant decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction occurred in 12 patients (at a median cumulative pirarubicin dose of 460 mg/m2) and led to congestive heart failure in 4 of these patients (cumulative pirarubicin doses of 500, 520, 590, and 730 mg/m2, respectively). Eleven patients underwent endomyocardial biopsy, either because they experienced a drop in left ventricular ejection fraction or because they had received a cumulative pirarubicin dose of 600 mg/m2 and were still responding to the treatment. Of these, only one biopsy was found to be more than grade 1.0 (in an individual who had received a cumulative dose of 705 mg/m2). Severe alopecia occurred in two-thirds of the patients. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed a triphasic elimination of pirarubicin with alpha, beta and gamma half-lives of 0.12, 1.44, and 33.9 h, respectively. Total clearance of drug was 4.2 liters.1 h/kg while the cumulative 24-h urinary excretion was less than 10% of the administered dose. The activity of the combination appears to be similar to doxorubicin-containing regimens, while the incidence of alopecia appears to be lower than the historical experience with doxorubicin. However, cardiotoxicity remains a significant problem.     

Combination chemotherapy with doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vindesine for AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma

BACKGROUND: Kaposi's sarcoma is the most common neoplasm in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Although the best therapeutic approach is still unclear, patients with advanced KS are usually treated with systemic chemotherapy. METHODS: A prospective multiinstitutional Italian study evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of combination chemotherapy with doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vindesine (ABVi) in patients with progressive and extensive HIV-related KS. Patients were given doxorubicin, 20 mg/m2 on Day 1; bleomycin, 15 mg on Day 1, and vindesine, 4 mg on Day 1 biweekly +/- granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. RESULTS: Overall, 21 of 38 evaluable patients (55%) achieved an objective response (OR): there was 1 complete response and 20 partial responses. The most important bone marrow toxicity was granulocytopenia in 61% of the evaluable patients; 34% had Grades 3-4 toxicity, according to the World Health Organization Classification. The majority of patients (64%) developed some type of opportunistic infection (OI) during chemotherapy or the follow-up, with cytomegalovirus infection being the most frequent OI observed. The median duration of survival from KS diagnosis and from the start of ABVi therapy was 19 months (range, 3.4-88.5 months) and 9.9 months (range, 0.1-42.4 months), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of OI during ABVi chemotherapy and the follow-up is of concern, although these infections possibly could be due to our patients' low CD4+ lymphocyte counts. However, no toxic death was observed in our patients, suggesting that ABVi could be used in patients with aggressive disease, especially those who were previously untreated.     

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transfusion in the treatment of advanced testis cancer

Four patients with advanced testis cancer were treated by high-dose chemotherapy supporting by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. High-dose chemotherapy (carboplatin 250 mg/m2 or nedaplatin 200 mg/m2, etoposide 1,500 mg/m2, ifosphamide 7.5 g/m2 was given and peripheral blood stem cell transfusion was performed 72 hours after the last dose of chemotherapy. High-dose chemotherapy. was given followed by 1 or 2 cycles of pre high-dose therapy consisting of cisplatin 100 mg/m2 or carboplatin 500 mg/m2, etoposide 450 mg/m2, ifosphamide 6 g/m2. All 4 patients were evaluable. Three patients obtained a complete response and one showed a partial response. The partial responder was given RPLND. The RPLND specimen showed necrotic tissue.     

Mitotane associated with etoposide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin in the treatment of advanced adrenocortical carcinoma. Italian Group for the Study of Adrenal Cancer

BACKGROUND: The use of either mitotane or chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) has led to scanty and controversial results. The recent finding that mitotane is able to reverse in vitro multidrug resistance has provided a rational basis for combining this agent with cytotoxic drugs. The association of mitotane with etoposide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (EDP) in the treatment of patients with advanced, inoperable ACC was tested in an Italian multicenter Phase II trial. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (18 women and 10 men; median age, 47 years; range, 27-65 years) with measurable disease were enrolled in the study and evaluated for toxicity and response. There were 18 patients with clinical and/or biochemical evidence of steroid hypersecretion. An EDP schedule (etoposide 100 mg/m2 on Days 5-7, doxorubicin 20 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 8, and cisplatin 40 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 9) was administered intravenously every 4 weeks; concomitantly, patients were given up to 4 g/day of oral mitotane or the maximum tolerated dose, without any interruption between chemotherapy cycles. RESULTS: According to World Health Organization criteria, complete response was achieved in 2 patients and partial response in 13, for an overall response rate of 53.5% (95% CI, 35-72%). Stable disease was observed in 8 patients and progressive disease in 5. Responses occurred in patients with both functioning and nonfunctioning tumors, and more often in those bearing lymph node and lung metastases. Time to progression in responding patients was 24.4 months. Generally, the EDP regimen was well tolerated. Only 4 patients received reduced doses, whereas 3 discontinued early chemotherapy due to toxicity. The addition of mitotane increased neurologic and gastrointestinal side effects. Due to these additional toxicities, only 9 patients regularly took the drug at the planned dose (4 g/day); 11 received the maximum tolerated dose of 3 g/day, 6 received 2 g/day, and 1 received 1 g/day. Mitotane was also responsible for raised serum levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. A complete hormone response (normalization of altered biochemical parameters) was observed in 9 of 16 evaluable patients with functioning tumors. CONCLUSIONS: EDP plus mitotane combination chemotherapy appears to be active and manageable treatment for patients with advanced ACC.     

Confirmation of quantitative trait loci for ethanol sensitivity in long-sleep and short-sleep mice

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of the combination of cisplatin, fluorouracil, and high-dose l-leucovorin (PFL) as organ-preserving induction therapy followed by radiotherapy in untreated patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a phase II study of PFL in 47 patients with resectable stage III (n = 20) and IV (n = 27) M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, including larynx (n = 20), hypopharynx (n = 14), and oropharynx (n = 13). The PFL regimen consisted of cisplatin 25 mg/m2 on days 1 through 5, fluorouracil 800 mg/m2 CI on days 2 through 6, and l-leucovorin 250 mg/m2 on days 1 through 6, all by continuous intravenous infusion every 21 to 28 days for three courses. The primary study endpoint was initial response to and local disease control rate with PFL as induction chemotherapy, with an aim to confirm the previously reported complete response rate of 60% to 70%. RESULTS: Of 47 patients enrolled, 46 were evaluable for response to PFL, 14 (30%) achieved a complete response, and 25 (54%) achieved a partial response, for an overall response rate of 84%. Of 39 patients evaluable for response after radiation therapy, 27 (69%) achieved a complete response and 11 (28%) a partial response. Local disease control was achieved in 37 of 46 (80%). Grade 3 or 4 toxic effects occurred frequently, with neutropenia in 27 (59%) of 46 evaluable patients, thrombocytopenia in 30%, mucositis in 41%, diarrhea in 13%, and nausea/ vomiting in 13%, but there were no treatment-related deaths. With a median follow-up of 35 months there have been nine recurrences (four local/regional and five distant) and 17 deaths (12 in patients with disease progression and five not directly related to the primary tumor). Second primary tumors have developed in six patients. At 3 years 62% of the patients remain alive with no disease progression, and the 3-year survival estimate with preserved organ function is 66%. CONCLUSION: PFL induction chemotherapy produced only a modest complete response rate, possibly due to suboptimal dose intensity, and was associated with substantial, although not life-threatening, toxicity. Newer regimens and treatment modalities are still needed in the management of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.     

High-dose chemotherapy with carboplatin, etoposide and cyclophosphamide followed by a haematopoietic stem cell rescue in patients with high-risk retinoblastoma: a SFOP and SFGM study

This study investigates the role of high-dose chemotherapy with haematopoietic stem cell rescue as consolidation treatment in high-risk retinoblastoma (extraocular disease at diagnosis or relapse or invasion of cut end of optic nerve). 25 patients received high-dose chemotherapy including carboplatin (250 mg/m2/day from day 1 to day 5 for the 6 first patients and 350 mg/m2/day from day 1 to day 5 for the other patients), etoposide (350 mg/m2/day from day 1 to day 5) and cyclophosphamide (1.6 g/m2/day from day 2 to day 5) (CARBOPEC) followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell rescue. 19 patients received this drug combination for chemosensitive extraocular relapse. The other 6 patients with histological high-risk factors were given this treatment as consolidation after enucleation and conventional chemotherapy. The three year disease-free survival was 67.1%. In 7 of the 9 relapsing patients, the first site of relapse was the central nervous system. All patients with central nervous system disease died except one. The main toxicity was haematological and digestive (mucositis and diarrhoea). 2 of the 13 evaluable patients had grade III and IV ototoxicity. One patient experienced an acute grade I reversible cardiotoxicity. The CARBOPEC regimen seems to be a promising therapeutic strategy in patients with high-risk retinoblastoma, especially those with bone and/or bone marrow involvement. This treatment did not improve the outcome of patients with central nervous system disease.     

A phase I study of TNP-470 administered to patients with advanced squamous cell cancer of the cervix

A Phase I study of the novel angiogenesis inhibitor TNP-470 was performed. Patients with inoperable recurring or metastatic squamous cell cancer of the cervix with evaluable disease, no coagulopathy, and adequate renal, hepatic, and hematological function were eligible. One course of treatment consisted of an i.v. infusion of TNP-470 over 60 min every other day for 28 days, followed by a 14-day rest period. The starting dose was 9.3 mg/m2. Eighteen evaluable patients were treated, with a median age of 48 years (range 27-55) and performance status Zubrod 1 (range 0-2). Grade 3 neurotoxicities consisting of weakness, nystagmus, diplopia, and ataxia were encountered in two patients receiving the 71.2 mg/m2 dose. An intermediate dose level of 60 mg/m2 was evaluated and found to be well tolerated by three patients. Only one patient experienced grade 3 nausea on the 60 mg/m2 dose level. No myelosuppression, retinal hemorrhage, weight loss, or significant alopecia were observed. One patient had a complete response, which continues for 26 months, and three patients with initially progressive disease stage had stable disease for 5, 7.7, and 19+ months. Other Phase I studies, including over 200 patients, were performed concurrently with this study. Based on this experience, the dose of TNP-470 recommended for further studies is 60 mg/m2 as a 60-min i.v. infusion every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Neurotoxicity was dose limiting, but appears to be reversible. Otherwise, the treatment was well tolerated. The drug may be active in squamous cell cancer of the cervix. Further studies of TNP-470 in squamous cell cancer of the cervix are warranted.     

Mineral waters: instead of soap or better than soap?

Prolonged oral etoposide is an active regimen in small and nonsmall cell carcinoma of the lung, carcinomas of the breast and ovary, germ cell tumors, and in lymphoma. A Phase II trial was conducted by the Gynecologic Oncology Group to determine its activity in endometrial carcinoma. Twenty-six patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma were entered into study; one patient was ineligible because of an incorrect cell type. The remaining eligible patients were treated with etoposide at a starting dose of 50 mg/m2/day (30 mg/m2/day with prior radiotherapy) for 21 days. Based on hematologic toxicity, a dose escalation to a maximum dose of 60 mg/m2/day was prescribed. Twenty-two patients were evaluable for response and 25 were evaluable for toxicity. Fourteen had received prior radiotherapy and 24 had received prior chemotherapy. A median of two courses were given (range, 1-10). Grade 3 or 4 leukopenia occurring in 52% was the most common complication (grade 3, 36%; grade 4, 16%). Grade 4 thrombocytopenia occurred in 16% of patients. There were no objective responses including four patients with serous papillary carcinoma. This regimen is not significantly active as second-line therapy in endometrial carcinoma.     

Membrane-mediated inhibition of corticosterone on the release of arginine vasopressin from rat hypothalamic slices

In this series 49 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy received leucovorin 200 mg/m2 i.v. bolus followed by 5-fluorouracil at 370 mg/m2 i.v. bolus daily for 5 days every 4 weeks for the first two courses and subsequent courses were given every 5 weeks. Of this group, 47 patients were evaluable for toxicity and 44 for response. Of the patients evaluable for response, 15 were considered platinum-sensitive and 29 were platinum-refractory. The overall response rate was 6/44 (13.6%). There were two complete responders (4.5%) and four partial responders (9.1%). In the platinum-sensitive patients, there was one complete response, yielding a response rate of 6.6%, whereas in the platinum-refractory patients, there were four partial responses and one complete response for a response rate of 17.2%. Five responses were in the pelvis and there was one response at an extrapelvic site in the abdominal mesentery. The median number of courses delivered was three (range: 1-10). The major adverse effect was myelosuppression with 16/47 (34.0%) experiencing granulocytopenia < 1,000/mm3. The median white blood count nadir for the patients experiencing any leukopenia was 2,700 (range: 400-3,900/mm3). There was one episode of grade 3 thrombocytopenia. Grade 3 intestinal toxicity was seen in seven patients (14.9%). There were no treatment-related deaths. In this previously treated population, 5-fluorouracil with high-dose leucovorin exhibited activity of interest in the platinum-refractory population and warrants further investigation.     

Loss of biological activity due to Glu-->Arg mutation at residue 11 of the B subunit of cholera toxin

PURPOSE: To determine the maximum tolerated dose, toxicities, and potential antitumor activity of edatrexate (E), an antifolate agent with enhanced in vitro antitumor activity as compared with methotrexate (M), when given in combination with vinblastine, doxorubicin, cisplatin, and filgrastim (G-CSF) to patients with advanced malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with advanced malignancies were treated with escalating doses of edatrexate in combination with vinblastine (V), doxorubicin (A), cisplatin (C), and filgrastim (EVAC/G-CSF) following three different subsequently developed schedules. Schedule 1 was patterned after the MVAC regimen, a combination chemotherapy program with activity against different epithelial malignancies, and consisted of E, 40 mg/m2/day, days 1/15/22; V, 3 mg/m2/day, days 2/15/22; A, 30 mg/m2/ day, day 2; C, 70 mg/m2/day, day 2; repeated every 28 days. Schedules 2 and 3 were designed to avoid observed dose-limiting toxicity on schedule 1 consisting of transient elevation of serum creatinine levels and delayed myelosuppression. Schedule 2 consisted of E, 40 or 60 mg/ m2/day, days 1 and 15; V, 3 mg/m2/day, days 2 and 15; A, 30 mg/m2/day, day 2; C, 30 mg/m2/day, days 1 and 2; cycled every 28 days. Schedule 3 consisted of E, 60 to 120 mg/m2/day, day 1; V, 3 mg/m2/day, day 2; A, 30 mg/m2/day, day 2; C, 30 mg/m2/day, days 1 and 2; cycled every 21 days. Filgrastim 5 micrograms/kg/day was given to all patients subcutaneously until the absolute neutrophil count was greater than 10,000/microL postnadir. Three patients were treated on schedule 1, 10 on schedule 2 (four at an E dose of 40 mg/m2/day and six at an E dose of 60 mg/m2/day), and 24 on schedule 3 (six at each of the following E dosages: 60, 80, 100, and 120 mg/m2/day). RESULTS: Dose-limiting toxicities of grade 3 to 4 leukopenia and transient elevation of serum creatinine values were observed in two of three patients treated on schedule 1. A dose-limiting toxicity of grade 3 to 4 leukopenia was noted in two of six patients treated on schedule 2 at an edatrexate dose of 60 mg/m2/day. Two of six patients treated on schedule 3 at an edatrexate dose of 120 mg/m2/day had a dose-limiting toxicity of grade 3 stomatitis (one patient) and grade 3 cytopenia (one patient). Nineteen of 37 patients with evaluable or measurable disease had a response to treatment (response rate 51%, 95% confidence intervals = 35%-67%). Nine of 15 patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer responded, including one complete remission (response rate 60%, confidence intervals = 35%-85%). A median survival of 517 days (confidence interval = 163-808 days) and a 1-year survival rate of 60% (confidence interval = 35%-85%) was seen in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The maximum tolerated dose and the recommended phase II dose of edatrexate is 100 mg/m2/day when administered as part of the EVAC/G-CSF program following schedule 3. Promising antineoplastic activity against non-small cell lung carcinomas was observed, and a phase II study is planned.     

Phase I/II trial of all-trans retinoic acid and tamoxifen in patients with advanced breast cancer

Because tamoxifen and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) have additive antitumor effects in preclinical systems, we performed a Phase I/II clinical trial of this combination in patients with advanced breast cancer. Patients with potentially hormone-responsive advanced breast cancer were enrolled. All received 20 mg of tamoxifen by mouth daily. Consecutive cohorts of 3-6 patients were treated on odd-numbered weeks with ATRA at doses of 70, 110, 150, 190, or 230 mg/m2/day. Twenty-six patients were entered in this trial; 25 were evaluable. A dose of 230 mg/m2 ATRA produced unacceptable headache and dermatological toxicity, but doses < or = 190 mg/m2 were tolerable. Two of 7 patients with measurable disease responded. Seven of 18 patients with evaluable, nonmeasurable disease achieved disease stability for more than 6 months. Plasma AUCs on day 1 of successive weeks of treatment were stable over time. A nonsignificant decrease in serum insulin-like growth factor I levels was noted during treatment, but this trend was similar to that observed in three "control" patients treated with tamoxifen alone. When given with daily tamoxifen, the maximum tolerated dose of ATRA that could be given on alternate weeks was 190 mg/m2/day. This schedule of ATRA resulted in repeated periods of exposure to potentially therapeutic concentrations of ATRA. Declines in the serum insulin-like growth factor I concentrations observed in patients treated with tamoxifen and ATRA were similar to those observed in patients treated with tamoxifen alone. Objective responses were observed, some in patients who had previously progressed while receiving tamoxifen, suggesting that further studies would be of interest.     

An early phase II trial combining cisplatin and carboplatin in advanced non-small cell lung cancer

We conducted an early phase II trial in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to evaluate response efficacy of a combination of Cisplatin (CDDP) and Carboplatin (CBDCA). The twenty-six patients in the study had had no previous treatment. They received a sequential administration of 300 mg/m2 CBDCA and 80 mg/m2 CDDP with approximately 3,500 ml of hydration on day 1 every 4 weeks. All patients were evaluable for response and toxicity. Ten (38.5%) of all assessable patients achieved a partial response (95% confidence interval, 19.8-57.2%). Response rates for patients with stage III A, III B and IV- disease were 40.0 (2/5), 70.0 (7/10) and 9.1% (1/11), respectively. Response rates for patients with squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma were 35.7 (5/14), 45.5 (5/11) and 0.0% (0/1), respectively. The median survival time (MST) of all patients was 11 months. The MST for patients with stage III disease was 14 months; for those with stage IV disease it was 7 months. The MST for responding patients was 15 months and for not responding patients 5 months. Major toxicities were hematologic and gastrointestinal, and the dose-limiting factor was thrombocytopenia. This combination chemotherapy was effective against NSCLC with tolerable toxicities. Further trials are warranted to determine the efficacy of the combination chemotherapy.