Previous Chemotherapy For Metastatic Disease Research Articles

Combination paclitaxel, carboplatin, and gemcitabine is an active treatment for advanced urothelial cancer.

To determine the efficacy and toxicity of the drug combination of carboplatin, paclitaxel, and gemcitabine in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. Patients eligible included those with advanced urothelial malignancy of any histology, no previous chemotherapy for metastatic disease, Southwest Oncology Group performance status of 2 or less, serum creatinine levels of 2 mg/dL or less, and adequate bone marrow and hepatic function. Treatment consisted of paclitaxel 200 mg/m2, carboplatin (target area under the curve = 5) on day 1, and gemcitabine 800 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, repeated every 21 days. Forty-nine patients (44 men and five women) were enrolled; the patients' median age was 63 years, and their median creatinine clearance was 78 mL/min (range, 26 to 165 mL/min). Forty-three patients had transitional cell carcinoma, and six had squamous cell carcinoma or mixed histology. Ten patients had metastases to lymph nodes only, six had locally advanced disease, four had locally recurrent disease, 24 patients had visceral metastases, and five had soft tissue metastases. Twenty-one patients had disease in one site, 16 in two sites, and 12 in three sites. A total of 272 cycles were administered (median, six cycles; range, 1 to 15 cycles). Major toxicities were grade 3 and 4 neutropenia in 17 and 19 patients, respectively; grade 3 and 4 thrombocytopenia in 15 and six patients, respectively; grade 3 and 4 anemia in 10 and two patients, respectively; grade 3 neuropathy in four patients; and diarrhea in two patients. The incidence of febrile neutropenia was 1.4%; no patients died of drug toxicity. Forty-seven of the 49 patients were assessable for response. Fifteen (32%) patients experienced a complete response, and 17 (36%) patients experienced a partial response (32 of 47 patients, 68%; 95% confidence interval, 56.27 to 82.86). Responses were seen in all sites, including 15 (68%) of 22 patients with visceral metastases. The median survival was 14.7 months, with a 1-year survival of 59%. Combination paclitaxel, carboplatin, and gemcitabine is active; an encouraging number of patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma treated with this regimen experienced complete remission.

Phase II Clinical Trial of Titanocene Dichloride in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer

Background: Titanocene dichloride (MKT4) is a recently developed cytostatic agent that shows preclinical activity against human breast cancer xenograft models in nude mice. A phase II trial was conducted to evaluate the clinical activity of this inorganic early-transition metal complex in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Patients and Methods: Fifteen patients were enrolled into this multicenter phase II trial. Twelve patients with a median age of 58 years were eligible for toxicity and response. All 12 patients had prior surgery and metastatic disease at study entry. Seven patients had prior radiotherapy, 9 patients had prior hormone therapy, and 8 patients had prior adjuvant chemotherapy. No previous chemotherapy for metastatic disease was allowed. Titanocene dichloride was intravenously administered at a dose of 270 mg/m² every 3 weeks. Results: Among the 12 eligible patients evaluable for response, no objective remission was observed. Two patients (17%) showed a ‘minor remission’, and 5 patients (42%) experienced a ‘no change’ situation of their disease. Moderate to severe drug-related toxicities (CTC grade II–III) affecting the gastrointestinal, neurological, hepatic and renal system occurred in the majority of patients. Therefore, in 5 patients the dose had to be reduced to 240 mg/m². Conclusion: MKT4, given at a dose of 240–270 mg/m² in this schedule, was not effective in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The tolerability of the 3-weekly dosing regimen was acceptable when the MKT4 dose was reduced to 240 mg/m².

Factors Influencing Mobilization and Engraftment in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer Undergoing PBSC Transplantation

Factors influencing mobilization and engraftment of PBSC were analyzed in 38 patients with metastatic breast cancer who were undergoing PBSC transplantation. None of these patients had had previous chemotherapy for metastatic disease. PBSC were mobilized with cyclophosphamide (CY) and G-CSF (n = 21) or CY and etoposide (CY-etoposide) and G-CSF (n = 17). All received cyclophosphamide 6000 mg/m2, thiotepa 500 mg/m2, and carboplatin 800 mg/m2 (CTCb) as preparative regimen. PBSC infusion was followed by G-CSF at 5 microg/kg in 30 patients or 10 microg/kg in 8 patients. A median number of 27 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg was obtained with a median of four aphereses. Previous chemotherapy, radiation therapy, marrow disease, time from previous chemotherapy to mobilization, and type of mobilization regimen did not have a statistically significant effect on collection efficiency (CE). CE was defined as the total number of CD34+ collected/number of collections. Engraftment was rapid, with patients reaching a neutrophil count of 0.5 x 10(9)/L a median of 9 days (range 7-23) and a platelet count of 20 x 10(9)/L a median of 12 days (range 8-28) after transplantation. Shorter times to platelet recovery were associated with a higher number of CD34+ cells infused (p = 0.012), CY mobilization (p = 0.033), and a lower number of prior chemotherapy cycles (p = 0.022). When the number of CD34+ cells was included in the proportional hazard model, no other variables were found to be significant predictors of platelet engraftment. Time to neutrophil recovery was negatively associated with the dose of G-CSF used after transplantation (p = 0.036) CD34 cell dose is an important predictor of engraftment kinetics. A posttransplant dose of G-CSF improves neutrophil recovery. For patients with metastatic breast cancer and no previous chemotherapy for metastatic disease, we have no evidence for a difference between CY and CY-Etoposide as the mobilization regimen.

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell support followed by post-transplant doxorubicin and taxol as initial therapy for metastatic breast cancer: hematopoietic tolerance and efficacy.

A multistep HDC regimen was designed as first-line chemotherapy for MBC. Twenty-four patients with MBC and no previous chemotherapy for metastatic disease were treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide (5000 mg/m2), and etoposide (1000 mg/m2) (CyVP16), followed by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) were collected. Subsequently patients received cyclophosphamide (6000 mg/m2), thiotepa (500 mg/m2) and carboplatin (800 mg/m2) (CTCb) with hematopoietic rescue. Upon recovery from hematopoietic and gastrointestinal toxicity three cycles of doxorubicin (50 mg/m2) and taxol (150 mg/m2) were delivered. After CyVP16 42% of patients developed neutropenic fevers. There was one documented episode of bacteremia. Patients received CTCb 32 days after starting CyVP16. After CTCb the median number of days to ANC >5 x 10(9)/l was 10 and to a platelet count >20 x 10(9)/l was 14. Neutropenic fevers developed in 16 patients. There were no hemorrhagic episodes. A total of 69 cycles of doxorubicin and taxol were delivered (87% of planned). The median time from PBSC infusion to the first cycle was 38 days. The median time to the second cycle was 27 days and to the last cycle was 24 days. One patient developed congestive heart failure. Two episodes of neutropenic fevers were observed. No toxicity-related deaths were observed. Grafts are stable at 6 months post transplantation. This multistep regimen is feasible with acceptable toxicity.

Mitoxantrone in advanced breast cancer—a phase II study with special attention to cardiotoxicity

Thirty-four patients with advanced breast cancer, who had not received previous chemotherapy for metastatic disease, were treated with mitoxantrone 14 mg/m 2 i.v. every 21 days. Eleven of 33 evaluable patients (33%) achieved a partial response: there were no complete responders. Before commencing mitoxantrone, and 3-monthly thereafter, radionuclide assessment of ventricular performance was obtained at rest and in response to stress. Ten patients showed a deterioration in ejection fraction, two of whom developed congestive cardiac failure. Dose-limiting toxicity was myelosuppression. Nausea and vomiting were generally mild and transient. Alopecia was minimal in most patients. Mitoxantrone is an active, well-tolerated new drug in the treatment of advanced breast cancer, but cardiotoxicity may occur in a proportion of patients. Further investigation is required to determine the precise nature, incidence and prognosis of cardiotoxicity encountered with mitoxantrone.