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Biomedical subjects

K Antman

Publications and source records attributed to K Antman.

66 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Pharmacokinetics of continuous-infusion high-dose thiotepa.

The pharmacokinetics of thiotepa administered as a continuous infusion over 4 days have been studied in 18 patients receiving high-dose thiotepa, cyclophosphamide, and autologous bone marrow reinfusion as treatment for advanced neoplasms. Patients received cyclophosphamide at a total dose of 6 g/m2 and thiotepa at a total dose of 180-900 mg/m2 over the 4-day infusion. Samples of plasma were obtained during and following infusion, and the plasma concentration of thiotepa was determined by the method of Egorin et al. For many patients (72%), peak concentrations of plasma thiotepa were achieved during the initial 24 hours of infusion and then declined an average of 29% by the end of the 96-hour infusion. The average total systemic clearance of thiotepa was 16.7 +/- 7.4 (SD) L/m2/hour [or 420 +/- 162 (SD) ml/kg/hr]. An inverse correlation between the average total systemic clearance and the dose of thiotepa was observed (P less than 0.01).

Adult↗

High-dose combination alkylating agent preparative regimen with autologous bone marrow support: the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Beth Israel Hospital experience.

Fifty-nine patients received 61 courses of cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and carmustine combined. The phase I study consisted of seven dose escalations. Dose levels 5 and 6 also included the attempted addition of melphalan at 40 and 80 mg/m2. The maximum tolerated dose for the three-drug combination was 5620 mg/m2 of cyclophosphamide, 165 mg/m2 of cisplatin, and 600 mg/m2 of carmustine. The dose-limiting toxic effect was fatal veno-occlusive disease of the liver in two of five patients treated at the highest dose level. Veno-occlusive disease of the liver was fatal in two of 40 patients treated at Dose level 4, the maximum tolerated dose. The median time to recovery of polymorphonuclear leukocyte counts to greater than 500/microliters and platelet counts to transfusion independence greater than 20,000/microliters was 19 and 22 days, respectively, after marrow reinfusion. Other toxic effects observed included postdischarge pulmonary toxicity, which appeared to respond to prednisone therapy. Thus, this combination of alkylating agents can be combined at close to the transplant dose of each individual agent. The response rate was high despite considerable prior treatment in most patients. Of 16 evaluable patients with breast cancer, 15 responded (six complete responses). Of six evaluable patients with sarcoma, six responded (one complete response). While patients with melanoma had had no prior treatment, 11 of 17 patients responded (65%). There are currently three patients who are disease-free. Two patients with melanoma were rendered disease-free by excisional biopsy of the only remaining nodule after good partial response, and a patient with metastatic breast cancer remains disease-free after a complete response at 36+ months.

Adult↗

Doxorubicin chemotherapy in the treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma. Combined results of two randomized trials.

In 1978, there were initiated two independent randomized, prospective trials of adjuvant doxorubicin hydrochloride (Adriamycin) following primary therapy for soft-tissue sarcoma. The virtual identity of these two protocols permits their combination for analysis. A total of 75 patients (42 men, 33 women) with soft-tissue sarcoma (stages IIB to IVA) were randomized, after receiving optimal regional therapy, to receive either doxorubicin hydrochloride (450 mg/m2) (37 patients) or observation (38 patients). Follow-up has ranged from 16 to 80 months (median, 49 months). Twenty-five patients (33%) died, and two patients receiving doxorubicin developed cardiotoxicity. No significant differences in local control, metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival were observed for the two treatment arms. Despite temporary prolongation of disease-free survival with doxorubicin in some subgroups, we conclude that there is no advantage to the use of adjuvant doxorubicin in the treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

High-dose combination alkylating agent chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow support for metastatic breast cancer.

Seventeen patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with a high-dose combination chemotherapy regimen and autologous bone marrow support. Thirteen patients had prior combination chemotherapy. Fifteen patients were treated with a phase II regimen of cyclophosphamide (5.625 g/m2), cisplatin (165 mg/m2), and BCNU (600 mg/m2). Bone marrow harvest and reconstitution were uncomplicated. All patients became profoundly myelosuppressed. Fourteen of 16 evaluable patients (88%) responded, including six complete responses (CRs) (38%). The median time to tumor progression was 5 months. The median survival was 8 months. CRs occurred more frequently in patients with no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease, inflammatory breast cancer; and patients treated within 3 months of first recurrence. The rate of tumor regression was rapid, with a median of 11 days to partial response (PR) and 12 days to CR. Those patients achieving a PR by day 7 had a greater likelihood (P = .03) of attaining a CR than those patients whose PR occurred later. Three deaths (18%) occurred, all in women with inflammatory breast cancer treated with prior chemotherapy. High-dose combined alkylating agent therapy produced high PR and CR rates in metastatic breast cancer patients, most of whom had failed prior chemotherapy. The rate of tumor regression was rapid. Current efforts are directed at developing a regimen using drugs specifically active in breast cancer, with an intent of combining an effective high-dose regimen with additional modalities of therapy in the treatment of breast cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

High-dose combination alkylating agents with autologous bone marrow support: a Phase 1 trial.

Twenty-nine patients were treated with 31 courses of high-dose combination cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and carmustine (BCNU) with and without melphalan with autologous bone marrow support. Toxicity was dose related. The maximum tolerated dose for cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and BCNU in this combination in mg/m2 was 5,625, 165, and 600, respectively. Further dose escalation was precluded by the development of multiple organ toxicity, including venoocclusive disease, refractory thrombocytopenia, and hypertension. Melphalan added to the three-drug combination produced excessive renal and gastrointestinal toxicity. Objective tumor regression occurred in 21 of 25 evaluable cases. The results suggest that selected alkylating agents can be combined in full or nearly full doses before nonmyelosuppressive dose-limiting toxicity precludes further escalation.

Adult↗

Pharmacokinetics and immediate effects of high-dose carmustine in man.

The pharmacokinetics and acute toxicity of carmustine (BCNU) have been studied in ten patients receiving high-dose combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and BCNU as treatment for advanced neoplasms. Patients received from 300 to 750 BCNU mg/m2 of body surface area as a 2-hour infusion. The immediate effects of this schedule of BCNU included tachycardia, hypotension, flushing, confusion, nausea, and vomiting. Hypotension was a prominent feature of high-dose BCNU administration. The pharmacokinetics of high-dose BCNU were studied via serial blood samples obtained during and following BCNU infusion. Concentrations of BCNU in total plasma and ultrafiltrable (bioavailable) plasma were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography with UV detection. Average pharmacokinetic parameters for bioavailable plasma BCNU, calculated on the basis of a one-compartment model, include an elimination constant of 0.031 min-1 and a volume of distribution of 5.1 L/kg. Average clearance of total plasma BCNU is 77.6 ml/kg/min. When corrected to a constant dose of 1 g/m2, the average peak concentration at the end of the infusion was 7.8 microM and the area under the curve was 538 microM X min. Plasma BCNU was largely (77%) protein bound. The distribution, clearance, and protein binding of high-dose BCNU were similar to those reported for standard-dose BCNU.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Selection bias in clinical trials.

Of 90 patients with intermediate or high-grade sarcoma eligible for a randomized trial of adjuvant doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Adria Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio), 48 were not entered: 24 (27%) by physician's choice and 24 refused randomization. Sixty-five percent of lower stage patients were randomized compared with 37% of those with higher stage (P = .02). Patients with extremity lesions were more frequently offered participation in the study (P = .07). Patients with lower stage lesions accepted randomization more readily than those with higher stage lesions (P = .01). As predicted by the higher stage and percentage of central lesions, the disease-free survival of nonrandomized patients was inferior to that of randomized patients (P = .15). Thus, patients at high risk appeared to avoid randomization and adjuvant doxorubicin in this trial, resulting in an inferior disease-free survival for the nonrandomized control group. Important questions generally require randomized trials that reliably determine relative treatment differences. If, however, the patients in a clinical trial are not representative of the entire patient population because of patient and physician selection biases, the generalizability of the results to the entire patient population may be compromised. For example, the prognosis of the general population cannot necessarily be inferred from the selected group in the study. In this study, the randomized and nonrandomized series yielded differing conclusions regarding treatment efficacy, even when an adjustment was made for known prognostic facts.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis.

Eighteen patients with malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis have been previously reported. These and the six patients reported here are reviewed for natural history and response to treatment. This tumor should be considered in men of any age with scrotal masses that include a hydrocele. Staging procedures should include computerized tomography scanning of the chest and abdomen. Inguinal orchiectomy appears to be the optimal primary surgical approach. Intraabdominal disease found at diagnostic laparotomy may be effectively treated by surgery and/or abdominal radiotherapy. Clinical features such as a long asymptomatic interval from initial presentation to clinical recurrence were observed and are also worthy of emphasis. Thus, serial follow-up is advised. Upon recurrence, treatment remains unsatisfactory but some responsiveness to chemotherapy has been noted. Doxorubicin-containing regimens were administered to five patients with measurable pulmonary nodules resulting in two partial regressions by standard criteria.

Adult↗

Preliminary results of a randomized trial of adjuvant doxorubicin for sarcomas: lack of apparent difference between treatment groups.

Forty-two patients with localized intermediate and high-grade sarcoma were randomized after optimal primary treatment to receive five cycles of adjuvant doxorubicin 90 mg/m2 every three weeks (20 patients) or observation (22 patients). Patients were stratified for grade, size, extent of surgical margin, and soft tissue versus other sarcomas. Groups appeared balanced for histology and superficial versus deep lesions. Eight patients (19%) have died. Follow-up times range from two to 69 months (median, 16 months). Two patients receiving doxorubicin (10%) developed cardiotoxicity presenting as pulmonary edema. One patient returned to normal activity on digoxin and diuretics; the other (age, 28 years) died of intractable failure and arrhythmias after four weeks. While a nonsignificant difference in local control, metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival, and survival was observed for extremity lesions, the advantage may be outweighed by the risk of cardiotoxicity. Seventy-six percent of the control patients with extremity lesions remain disease free. Because control patients do well, a very large study is required to define the role of adjuvant doxorubicin.

Adult↗

VP-16-213. A phase II trial using a weekly schedule.

Forty-six patients with various malignancies refractory to standard chemotherapy were treated with VP-16-213 using a weekly schedule. Only one patient responded to this regimen. perivenous infiltration of VP-16-213 resulted in a soft-tissue ulceration; this side effect has not been reported before. We conclude that VP-16-213 is of little utility when used in a weekly fashion in previously treated patients.

Dose-Response Relationship, Drug↗