Faculty Bibliography

This presentation provides an overview of further development of teniposide in cancer chemotherapy. The major activity has been shown in malignant lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and acute lymphocytic leukemia. There are consistent reports of significant activity in malignant glioma, neuroblastoma, and carcinoma of the bladder. Results are inconclusive in small cell carcinoma of the lung, carcinoma of the ovary and carcinoma of the breast. Activity of teniposide in these tumors is suggestive, but appears to be less than that of etoposide. No significant activity has been found in carcinoma of the kidney or non-small cell carcinoma of the lung. Teniposide is synergistic with cytosine arabinoside in L1210 leukemia and this synergism is evident in acute lymphocytic leukemia of childhood. This combination may be of benefit in the malignant lymphomas

Patients who had measurable evidence of recurrent or metastatic colorectal carcinoma following surgery and radiotherapy but no prior chemotherapy were randomized to one of five combination chemotherapy programs. Four of the treatments utilized five consecutive days of fluorouracil (FU) (days 1--5 and days 36--40) plus one oral dose of semustine (ME) (day 1) every ten weeks: (A) FU + ME; (B) FU + ME + vincristine (VC) (day 1 and day 36); (C) FU + ME + dacarbazine (DC) (days 1, 2, 36, 37); (D) FU + ME + VC + DC. The fifth treatment option(E) used a weekly treatment program of FU I.V. on day 1 plus hydroxyurea (HU) P.O. on day 4. The overall response rate was 13% (60/472) and the median survival time from start of therapy for all patients was 31 weeks. The response rate and the median survival time for each combination was (A) 9/103 = 9%, 26 weeks; (B) 10/92 = 11%, 28 weeks; (C) 15/101 = 15%, 37 weeks; (D) 11/91 = 12%, 27 weeks; (E) 15/85 = 18%, 38 weeks. There is no statistical difference in response rate or survival duration among any of the treatment options. The therapies containing DC produced the only complete responses (3 patients on treatment C and 2 on D). Treatment D was also associated with the longest median response duration (Treatment D = 55 weeks). Treatment A (FU + ME) was associated with the highest incidence of life-threatening toxicity.

Bisantrene is a substituted anthracene derivative which preclinically demonstrated a spectrum of activity similar to that of doxorubicin but without associated cardiotoxicity. A Phase I evaluation of the drug has been performed using daily i.v. administrations for 5 days. Sixty courses of treatment were administered to 23 patients at doses from 2.5 to 90 mg/sq m/day. Courses were repeated at 4-week intervals. Dose-limiting toxicities were leukopenia and local cutaneous reactions. The leukopenia was dose related, noncumulative, and of brief duration. Local reactions occurred in 14 of 37 courses administered at doses greater than 60 mg/sq m and in 13 patients resulted in clinical cellulitis of the infused extremity. Gastrointestinal side effects were mild. No alopecia or cardiotoxicity was observed. Two mixed responses were obtained in patients with hypernephromas. Using a daily schedule for 5 days, approximately 40% more drug can be delivered per course than by single-day i.v. administration. However, with this schedule, local cutaneous reactions may prove additionally dose limiting. Phase II studies of Bisantrene in a daily i.v. schedule for 5 days are planned at a dose of 80 mg/sq m/day to be repeated every 4 weeks

Three hexitol derivatives, dibromomannitol (DBM), dibromodulcitol (DBD), and dianhydrogalactitol (DAG), originally investigated in Hungary, have been evaluated as anticancer agents in the United States. Their principal mechanism of action is attributed to alkylation via actual or derived epoxide groups. Their preclinical spectrum includes activity against murine leukemias and against the murine ependymoblastoma, which is particularly noteworthy for DAG. Dibromomannitol trials were targeted to chronic myelogenous leukemia but no advantage over busulfan therapy was demonstrable. Dibromodulcitol and DAG were sequentially evaluated for their usefulness against a wide variety of tumors. The activity of DBD against breast cancer has stimulated several continuing trials in this disease. On the other hand, DAG was disappointing in breast cancer and in several other malignancies, but some activity has been noted against lung cancer. Both DBD and DAG are being investigated for possible usefulness in the management of patients with intracranial neoplasms. The present clinical experience does not allow firm judgment on the advantage of one analogue over another. Such comparative analysis does point out the desirable direction of future studies as well as the limitations of current preclinical systems for the selection of analogues.

All Phase II studies with diglycoaldehyde with leukemia and solid tumors have been reviewed. The dose schedules employed ranged from 1.5 to 2.0 g/m2/day for 3 to 5 days. The most common side effects have been gastrointestinal (nausea and vomiting), which occurred in 22% of the patients. Renal toxicity (rise in BUN, creatinine, and urinary proteins) was seem in 17% of the patients treated. Other infrequent toxicities include hypocalcemia (9%) and local complications such as phlebitis. Leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, positive Coombs' test and impairment in coagulation profile were also reported. In contrast to the hints of therapeutic efficacy described during Phase I trials, in phase II trials no activity was noted among 96 patients with solid tumors and only minimal antileukemic action among 49 other patients. These disappointing Phase II trials coupled with prominent toxicities have prompted the decision to terminate further clinical testing. This report summarizes all clinical observations as an example of circumstances which curtail clinical testing of anticancer drugs.