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C J Langer

Publications and source records attributed to C J Langer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Single-agent paclitaxel and paclitaxel/non-platinum combination therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Cumulative experience with single-agent paclitaxel in advanced metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) suggests that it is a highly active cytotoxic agent. The consistent finding of a 35% to 40% 1-year survival rate is notable. The major toxicities include neutropenia, neuropathy, and myalgia/arthralgia syndrome. Paclitaxel has been used in combination with several other nonplatinum agents for the treatment of NSCLC. Order of administration and schedule are clearly relevant in these combinations. For example, in one study, etoposide and paclitaxel given simultaneously proved ineffective, with substantial grade IV neutropenia Another schedule with an identical dose of etoposide, given daily for 3 days, followed by paclitaxel achieved a response rate of 41%, with markedly diminished neutropenia A variety of phase I studies have evaluated gemcitabine/paclitaxel, with response rates ranging from 22% to 30%. Paclitaxel/vinorelbine also has proven feasible in both small cell lung cancer and NSCLC, with a response rate of 17%. Investigators have combined paclitaxel with ifosfamide at full dose with response rates of 21% and 23%. The three-drug nonplatinum combination of paclitaxel/ifosfamide/vinorelbine also has been studied. The maximum tolerated dose for ifosfamide was 1.2 g/m2 on days 1 through 3, for vinorelbine 20 mg/m2 on days 1 through 3, and for paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 on day 1. The response rate of 16% was disappointing. Median survival was 6.1 months and toxicity was substantial. Paclitaxel/non-platinum combinations may prove to be reasonable alternatives for NSCLC patients who cannot tolerate cisplatin and for relapsed patients and patients with compromised performance status.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed1998

Phase II study of N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate, recombinant interferon-alpha, and fluorouracil infusion in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), as a single agent, produces a 15% response rate in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate (PALA) inhibits pyrimidine biosynthesis and increases incorporation of 5-FU metabolites into ribonucleic acid (RNA). Recombinant alpha interferon-2b (rIFN-alpha-2b) may inhibit 5-FU clearance and blunt reflex rise in thymidylate synthetase, therefore enhancing inhibition of the target enzyme of 5-FU. METHODS: In an attempt to exploit their potential therapeutic synergy, we initiated a phase II trial combining PALA 250 mg/m2 by intravenous (IV) bolus day 1 with 5-FU 2600 mg/m2 24-hour IV infusion initiated 24 hours after PALA, followed by rIFNalpha-2b 10 million units (MU) by subcutaneous injection days 2, 3, and 4 in patients with advanced, measurable SCCHN incurable with surgery or radiotherapy. Treatment was repeated weekly; patients were assessed every 4-6 weeks. Pretreatment tumor specimens were analyzed for p53 mutations in exons 5-8 and for protein expression using the p53 polyclonal antibody CM-1. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were enrolled from November 1991 through February 1994. Median age was 59 years (range, 31-72 years). All had previously received definitive radiotherapy, and all but two had undergone surgical resection. Seven patients (37%) had received prior adjuvant chemotherapy. Median time from initial diagnosis to protocol enrollment was 17 months (range, 5 months to 10 years). Median performance status (PS) was 1. Primary tumor sites included oral cavity (8 patients), larynx (7 patients), oropharynx (3 patients), and hypopharynx (1 patient). The median serum transferrin was 241 (range, 141-333). Sixteen patients (84%) had sufficient pretreatment biopsy material for p53 analysis. Patients received a median of 6 weeks of treatment (range, 2-30 weeks). Six patients (32%) in the absence of disease progression failed to finish the first 6 weeks of treatment: 3 died of pulmonary insufficiency or pneumonia and 3 were removed from study during the first 6 weeks due to toxicity. Grade 2-3 flulike symptoms occurred in 17 patients (89%); grade > or = 3 fatigue occurred in 12 patients (63%), and grade > or = 2 stomatitis occurred in 5 (26%). Gastrointestional toxicity was minimal and myelosuppression mild. Of 13 evaluable patients, there were 2 partial responses (15%) lasting 3 months and 20 months; 5 patients with stable disease lasting 2, 2, 2.5, 3, and 4.5 months; and 6 with disease progression. For all 19 patients, the overall response rate was 11%, the median survival was 6 months and 1-year survival rate 26%. Lower transferrin values (< or =241) were associated with shortened median survival 2.5 vs 11 months). Increased p53 protein expression but not p53 mutations in pretreatment specimens also predicted inferior survival (median, 6 vs 11 months) after enrollment in study (p = .0124). CONCLUSIONS: Biochemical modulation of 5-FU by rIFNalpha-2b and PALA does not enhance its efficacy in patients with advanced SCCHN whose disease has progressed after prior radiotherapy. Serum transferrin and p53 protein expression segregate outcome in this group of uniformly treated patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Oral tongue cancer in patients less than 45 years old: institutional experience and comparison with older patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the demographics, differential risk profile, and treatment outcome in patients with squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the oral tongue according to age at diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with invasive SCC of the oral tongue who presented during the years 1985 to 1996 were identified using institutional tumor registry data. Demographics and clinical and pathologic characteristics were abstracted from the medical charts. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients were identified; 87 were included for analysis. Thirty patients were diagnosed at < or = 45 years of age and 57 at > or = 46 years. The groups showed comparable American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging and male predominance. Prior exposure to tobacco and/or alcohol was noted in 40% and 82% of younger and older patients, respectively (P < .001); multiple smoking-related cancers occurred only in older patients (24.5% of older patients, P < .001). With median follow-up time of 29 months (younger group) and 21 months (older group), there were no significant differences in relapse rates, cancer-free survival (CFS), and overall survival (OS) rates (actuarial 5-year CFS rate, 48% and 54% in the younger and older patients, respectively; P = .91). Grouping patients according to smoking and/or alcohol history showed a trend toward better CFS in those with prior exposure to tobacco or alcohol compared with those with neither (5-year CFS rate, 60% and 38%, respectively, P = .11). In a multivariate analysis of all patients, with age used as a continuous parameter, only stage predicted CFS (P = .0019); for patients treated surgically with curative intent, only risk group predicted CFS (P = .0369). CONCLUSION: Prognosis of oral tongue SCC was not affected by age at diagnosis. CFS rates tended to be worse in cases not related to prior tobacco or alcohol exposure. Multiple smoking-related cancers occurred only in older patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

An update on North American randomized studies in non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in North America and Europe. Approximately 75% of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer, and approximately 70% of these patients present with unresectable disease. In the past, these patients were treated with either palliative radiotherapy or other best supportive care measures. The survival of patients with stage IV disease was extremely poor. Median survival was between 16 and 17 weeks, and only 10% to 15% of patients were alive at 1 year. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy was the first therapy to show that survival could be improved. Randomized trials that compared best supportive care, including palliative radiotherapy, with cisplatin-based combination therapy showed modest improvement in the survival of these patients. On average, the median survival of patients improved by 10 weeks (from 16 to 26 weeks) and the 1-year survival rate improved by 10% (from 15% to 25%). These cisplatin-based therapies also relieved symptoms and improved quality of life at acceptable costs, which were sometimes less than those associated with best supportive care. More recently, a number of new chemotherapeutic agents (gemcitabine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinorelbine, and irinotecan) with high, single-agent activities and novel mechanisms of action have shown superior activity and improved quality of life when used in combination with conventional agents and with each other.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1998

Gemcitabine and carboplatin in combination: phase I and phase II studies.

Gemcitabine has demonstrated single-agent activity in advanced, incurable non-small cell lung cancer, yielding response rates of > or =20%, and, in combination with cisplatin, response rates of 30% to 60%. Carboplatin causes much less nonhematologic toxicity than cisplatin, and initial therapy with carboplatin yields equivalent survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer compared with cisplatin combinations and other cisplatin analogs, despite a lower response rate. Carmichael and colleagues have identified a maximum tolerated dose of carboplatin of area under the curve 5.2 mg/mL/min administered monthly in combination with gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15. This combination produced a response rate of 31% and a median survival of 45 weeks in 13 evaluable patients. A subsequent phase I evaluation reversing the carboplatin and gemcitabine sequence (gemcitabine --> carboplatin day 1) demonstrated no difference in toxicities, pharmacodynamics, or maximum tolerated dose. At Fox Chase Cancer Center and elsewhere, similar phase I trials will determine the maximum tolerated doses of each agent in combination using a compressed schedule with carboplatin administered every 3 weeks and gemcitabine given on days 1 and 8 only.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1997

Paclitaxel (1-hour) and carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve 7.5) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a phase II study of the Fox Chase Cancer Center and its network.

We previously reported a 62% response rate and 54% 1-year survival rate for paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) administered by 24-hour infusion in combination with fixed-dose carboplatin to treat patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Myelosuppression proved dose limiting, but was substantially reduced by the routine use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor during the second and subsequent cycles. Activity for paclitaxel 135 mg/m2 and 200 mg/m2 by 1-hour infusion every 3 weeks in patients with NSCLC, with minimal myelosuppression and the suggestion of a dose-response relationship, has been reported. In November 1994, we initiated a phase II trial in patients with advanced, measurable, chemotherapy-naive NSCLC using paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 given in 1 hour, and carboplatin dosed to a fixed target area under the concentration-time curve of 7.5 every 3 weeks. In the absence of grade 4 myelosuppression, paclitaxel was escalated on an intrapatient basis by 35 mg/m2 per cycle to a maximum dose of 280 mg/m2 by cycle 4. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was not routinely used. Of the 57 patients accrued, 44 (81%) are Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 1. The median patient age is 64 years. To date, 54 patients are fully evaluable for toxicity. In the first 20 evaluable patients accrued (cohort A), myelosuppression was tolerable, but cumulative peripheral sensory neuropathy proved dose limiting: grade > or = 1 in 15 (75%) patients and grade 3 in six (30%), generally occurring at paclitaxel doses > or = 215 mg/m2 and obligating at least three patients to be removed from study despite absence of disease progression. The protocol was consequently revised. The starting dose of paclitaxel was reduced to 135 mg/m2 with intrapatient dose escalations of 40 mg/m2 per cycle, to a maximum paclitaxel dose of 215 mg/m2, recapitulating the original dosing schema used in Fox Chase Cancer Center study 93-024. For the 35 patients enrolled in the second cohort (cohort B), treatment has been better tolerated. Of 21 evaluable patients, 13 (62%) have experienced peripheral sensory neuropathy, grade 3 in only one (5%) patient. Myelosuppression also has been less pronounced, with 44% grade 4 granulocytopenia and 38% grade > or =3 thrombocytopenia in cohort B compared with 70% and 50%, respectively, in cohort A. Of the first 22 patients accrued to cohort A, 12 (55%) had major objective responses. Median event-free survival is 24 weeks and median survival is 47 weeks. Of the 35 evaluable patients in cohort B, nine (26%) have had major objective responses. Median event-free survival is 22 weeks. It is too early to report median survival. Paclitaxel given by 1-hour infusion in combination with carboplatin at a fixed target area under the concentration-time curve of 7.5, although active in advanced NSCLC, is associated with problems that compromise its efficacy. Higher dose levels yield intolerable toxicity, evidenced by the incidence of neurotoxicity (rather than myelosuppression) that was dose and protocol limiting at paclitaxel doses exceeding 215 mg/m2. Lower doses, while more tolerable, appear to be associated with lower response rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Induction paclitaxel and carboplatin followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable, locally advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma: report of Fox Chase Cancer Center study 94-001.

The paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ)/carboplatin combination has demonstrated promising activity in patients with incurable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our exploratory study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of this combination as induction therapy in patients with locally advanced NSCLC, to determine the maximally tolerated doses of paclitaxel and carboplatin administered every 3 weeks during radical thoracic radiation after induction treatment, and to determine the efficacy of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) priming before induction treatment, followed by conventional G-CSF, compared with conventional G-CSF alone. Eligibility stipulated Karnofsky performance status > or =70%, < or =5% weight loss, and stages IIIB or bulky IIIA NSCLC. Induction treatment consisted of two cycles of paclitaxel 175 to 225 mg/m2 infused over 3 hours combined with carboplatin (target area under the concentration-time curve of 7.5) given on days 1 and 22. On days 2 through 15 and 23 through 36, all patients received G-CSF 5 microg/kg; half were randomized to receive priming G-CSF daily for 5 days before day 1 of treatment. On day 43, thoracic radiation (60 Gy in 30 2-Gy fractions daily, 5 days a week for 6 weeks) was initiated. At dose level 1, patients received carboplatin dosed to a target area under the concentration-time curve of 3.75 and paclitaxel 67.5 mg/m2 over 3 hours on days 43 and 64. In the absence of dose-limiting toxicity, phase I escalation in three-patient cohorts proceeded to a maximum carboplatin area under the concentration-time curve of 5.0 and a paclitaxel dose of 175 mg/m2, delivered over 3 hours. To date, 35 patients (83% stage IIIB) have received induction treatment, 29 of whom are evaluable for response. Myelosuppression and neurotoxicity have been mild during induction treatment, prompting a paclitaxel dose increase to 225 mg/m2 on days 1 and 22 after the first seven patients were accrued. The phase III portion of the study evaluating G-CSF priming remains coded. Sixteen patients have received concurrent thoracic radiation and chemotherapy and are evaluable for response and toxicity. In sequential cohorts, the paclitaxel dose on days 43 and 64 has been escalated to 175 mg/m2 with only one episode each of grade 4 granulocytopenia and grade 3 anemia. In the first 13 patients evaluated, the severity of esophagitis corresponded to the length of the esophagus in the radiation treatment field: grade 1 in all six patients with esophageal exposure < or =16 cm and grade > or =2 in six of seven patients with > or =16 cm of the esophagus irradiated. Three episodes of grade > or =2 steroid-responsive pulmonary toxicity have occurred 2 to 6 months after the conclusion of concurrent thoracic radiation and chemotherapy. The major response rate is 38% to induction treatment and 59% to combined-modality treatment. Of the first 21 patients accrued, 62% survived 1 year. Induction paclitaxel/carboplatin therapy is active and well tolerated by patients with locally advanced NSCLC. The maximum tolerated doses of paclitaxel and carboplatin during concurrent thoracic radiation and the role of G-CSF priming are not yet established. Severity of esophagitis corresponds to the extent of esophagus irradiated during concurrent thoracic radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Combination paclitaxel (1-hour) and carboplatin (AUC 7.5) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a phase II study by the Fox Chase Cancer Center Network.

We have previously reported a 62% response rate and 54% 1-year survival rate for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) by 24-hour infusion in combination with carboplatin, using area under the concentration-time curve dosing (FCCC 93-024). Myelosuppression proved dose limiting, but was substantially reduced by the routine use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor during the second and subsequent cycles. Antitumor activity has been reported with minimal myelosuppression, with paclitaxel 135 and 200 mg/m2 given every 3 weeks by 1-hour infusion to patients with NSCLC. In November 1994, we initiated a phase II trial of paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 given over 1 hour, with carboplatin dosed to a fixed, targeted area under the concentration-time curve of 7.5 every 3 weeks. In the absence of grade 4 myelosuppression, paclitaxel was escalated on an intrapatient basis by 35 mg/m2 per cycle to a maximum dose of 280 mg/m2 by cycle 4. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was not routinely used. Eligibility stipulated advanced, measurable, chemotherapy-naive NSCLC. Of 47 patients accrued, 39 (83%) had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 1. The median age was 64 years; 40 patients were evaluable for toxicity. Of the first 20 evaluable patients accrued (cohort A), myelosuppression was tolerable. Cumulative peripheral sensory neuropathy grade > or = 1 in 15 (75%) patients and grade 3 in six (30%), however, generally occurring at paclitaxel doses greater than 215 mg/m2, obligated removal from study of at least three patients, despite the absence of disease progression, and proved to be dose-limiting. Consequently, the protocol was revised: the starting dose of paclitaxel was reduced to 135 mg/m2, with intrapatient dose escalation of 40 mg/m2 per cycle to a maximum dose of 215 mg/m2, thus recapitulating the original dosing schema used in FCCC 93-024. To date, 25 patients have been enrolled in this second cohort (cohort B) and treatment has been better tolerated. Of 21 evaluable patients, 13 (62%) have experienced peripheral sensory neuropathy, but only one (5%) has been grade 3. Myelosuppression also has been less pronounced, with 33% grade 4 granulocytopenia and 13% grade > or = 3 thrombocytopenia in cohort B compared with 70% and 50%, respectively, in cohort A. Of the first 22 patients accrued to cohort A, 12 (55%) had major objective responses. Median event-free survival is 23 weeks and median survival is 47 weeks. Of 15 evaluable patients in cohort B, five (33%) have had major objective responses. It is too early to report survival data. In conclusion, paclitaxel by 1-hour infusion in combination with carboplatin at a fixed targeted area under the concentration-time curve of 7.5 is an active regimen in advanced NSCLC. Neurotoxicity, rather than myelosuppression, is dose and protocol limiting at paclitaxel doses exceeding 215 mg/m2.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Paclitaxel and carboplatin in combination in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a phase II toxicity, response, and survival analysis.

PURPOSE: To determine the activity and toxicity of combination paclitaxel (24 hours) and carboplatin in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligibility required measurable disease (stage IV or stage IIIB with malignant pleural effusion), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1, absolute neutrophil count > or = 2,000/microL, platelet count > or = 100,000/microL serum creatinine concentration < or = 1.5 mg/dL, and bilirubin level < or = 2 mg/dL. Paclitaxel was initially administered at a dose of 135 mg/m2/d, followed by carboplatin on day 2 at a targeted area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of 7.5 using the Calvert formula. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) 5 micrograms/kg subcutaneously (SC) on days 3 to 17 was introduced during the second and subsequent cycles. In patients who sustained less than grade 4 myelosuppression, the paclitaxel dose was sequentially escalated 40 mg/m2 per cycle to a maximum of 215 mg/m2. Treatment was repeated at 3-week intervals for six cycles. RESULTS: From June 1993 through February 1994, 54 patients were enrolled; 53 are assessable for toxicity and response. The median age was 62 years (range, 34 to 84). Sixty-nine percent were male, 65% had adenocarcinoma, and 93% had stage IV disease. Two hundred sixty-eight cycles were administered; 32 patients (59%) completed all six cycles. Twenty-five unanticipated hospitalizations occurred during treatment (9.3% of cycles) in 20 patients (37%). Myelosuppression was the principal toxicity; grade 3 or 4 granulocytopenia occurred in 57% of patients after the first cycle, but decreased to 35% during the second cycle after introduction of G-CSF and consistently remained < or = 22% during subsequent cycles. Seven episodes of neutropenic fever occurred, all during the first cycle. Grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia and anemia occurred in 47% and 33% of patients, respectively. Eight patients (15%) required platelet transfusions and 16 (30%) required packed RBC support. Neuropathy, myalgias/arthralgias, and thrombocytopenia, although generally mild, were cumulative. The paclitaxel dose was boosted to 215 mg/m2 in > or = 70% of patients who received three or more cycles. At an AUC of 7.5, the median first-cycle carboplatin dose was 424 mg/m2 (range, 273 to 709 mg/m2). The objective response rate was 62%, with five (9%) complete responses and 28 (53%) partial responses. The median progression-free survival time was 28 weeks and the median survival time 53 weeks. The 1-year survival rate is 54%. CONCLUSION: The paclitaxel-carboplatin combination is active in advanced NSCLC and may enhance survival; it merits further investigation in phase III trials.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Pretreatment hemoglobin level influences local control and survival of T1-T2 squamous cell carcinomas of the glottic larynx.

PURPOSE: A number of reports have documented the relationship between pretreatment hemoglobin level and local control and/or survival in the treatment of cervix, bladder, and advanced head and neck tumors. Consideration of correcting anemia before initiation of radiation therapy may prove increasingly important as clinical trials use intensive induction chemotherapy in the treatment of head and neck carcinomas. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may produce anemia, which in turn may reduce the effectiveness of subsequent irradiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred nine patients with T1-2N0 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx were treated with definitive radiotherapy at the Fox Chase Cancer Center between June 1980 and November 1990. Follow-up times ranged from 26 to 165 months (median, 82). RESULTS: The 2-year local control rate for patients who presented with a hemoglobin level < or = 13 g/dL was 66%, compared with 95% for patients with a hemoglobin level more than 13 g/dL (P = .0018). The 2-year survival rate for patients with a hemoglobin level < or = 13 g/dL was 46%, compared with 88% for patients with a hemoglobin level more than 13 g/dL (P < .001). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that hemoglobin level (P = .0016) was the only variable that significantly influenced local control (P = .0016) and survival (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Patients who presented with hemoglobin levels more than 13 g/dL had significantly higher local control and survival rates. The strong apparent correlation between hemoglobin level, local control, and survival supports consideration of correcting anemia before initiation of radiation therapy.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1995

Phase II evaluation of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (M-VAC) in advanced, measurable breast carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin, each individually active in metastatic breast cancer (MBC), could, in combination, produce an overall response rate, median survival, and long-term survival sufficiently promising to merit its consideration for phase III trials in MBC and as induction therapy prior to autologous bone marrow transplant. From July 1986 through February 1990, 30 patients with stage IV, measurable breast carcinoma received M-VAC: methotrexate--30 mg/m2 days 1, 15, 22; vinblastine--3 mg/m2 days 2, 15, 22; doxorubicin--30 mg/m2 day 2; cisplatin--70 mg/m2 day 2. Cycles were repeated at 4-week intervals for up to six courses. Median age was 53 years (range 34-64 years). Prior treatment included adjuvant cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-Fluorouracil in 12 patients, radiotherapy in 13 patients, and hormonal therapy in 14 patients. Eleven patients were ER (+) at the time of initial diagnosis. Five patients had disease restricted to bone and/or nodes; the other 25 had visceral-dominant sites of metastases, with or without bone involvement, or evidence of rapid, inflammatory chest wall relapse. Twenty-nine of 30 patients were evaluable for toxicity and response; all were evaluable for survival. The major overall response rate was 83%, with a 21% complete remission rate. The chief toxicity was bone marrow suppression, with grade 4 granulocytopenia in 20 patients, grade 3 in 7 patients, and grade 3 and 4 thrombocytopenia in 5 patients. Grade 3 stomatitis occurred in 9 patients. Renal insufficiency was clinically insignificant, and neurotoxicity mild, with 7 patients sustaining grade 1 or 2 paresthesias. Median time to progression was 9 months and median survival 19 months (range, 5-84+ months) with 4 patients still alive at least 45+ months or more from the start of treatment and 2 presently free of progressive disease. Although highly toxic, M-VAC produces a response rate and survival duration in visceral-dominant MBC competitive with, if not superior to, conventional regimens such as CAF (Cytoxan, doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil); it therefore merits further investigation in conjunction with hematopoietic growth factors and as cytoreductive therapy prior to autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Paclitaxel and carboplatin in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Based on the superior response rates (21% to 24%) of patients treated with single-agent paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) in Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center trials in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and on the superior 1-year survival rates of NSCLC patients treated with carboplatin in a randomized study of cisplatin combination and analogues, we initiated a phase II trial of paclitaxel/carboplatin in patients with stage IV or effusion-positive stage III NSCLC. Eligibility stipulated chemotherapy-naive patients with measurable disease, good performance status, and adequate hematologic, hepatic, and renal function. Previous radiotherapy was restricted to < or = 30% of marrow-bearing bone. Paclitaxel was initially given at 135 mg/m2 over 24 hours followed by carboplatin dosed to a targeted area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) of 7.5, with treatment repeated at 3-week intervals for six cycles. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was introduced during the second and subsequent cycles, with the paclitaxel dose sequentially escalated in 40 mg/m2 increments to a maximum dose of 215 mg/m2 in patients with less than grade 4 granulocytopenia and less than grade 3 thrombocytopenia. Of 54 patients enrolled, 30 currently are evaluable for response, 23 for toxicity. Myelosuppression has been the principal toxicity, with grade 3 or 4 granulocytopenia occurring in 70% of patients after the first cycle. After the introduction of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocytopenia decreased to 37% during the second cycle and then consistently to 20% or lower during subsequent cycles. Only 22% of cycles have been delayed for 1 week or more. Neutropenic fever has occurred in five (5%) of 100 evaluable cycles. Other grade 3 or 4 toxicities include thrombocytopenia (13%), anemia (9%), fatigue (9%), and hemorrhagic cystitis (1%). The paclitaxel dose was boosted to 215 mg/m2 in 12 (70%) of 17 patients by cycle 3 or 4. At an AUC of 7.5, the median first-cycle carboplatin dose was 434 mg/m2 (range, 293 to 709 mg/m2). The objective response rate is 50%, with three complete, 12 partial, and five minor responses. We conclude that the paclitaxel/carboplatin combination is active in advanced NSCLC and, with AUC-based dosing of carboplatin, can be given at 3-week intervals. Although dose limiting at a paclitaxel dose of 135 mg/m2, granulocytopenia can be reduced substantially with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, allowing sequential dose escalation of paclitaxel to 175 mg/m2 and 215 mg/m2 in 70% of patients receiving three or more cycles.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Paclitaxel by 24- or 1-hour infusion n combination with carboplatin in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: the Fox Chase Cancer Center experience.

A phase II trial of combination paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) and carboplatin included 54 chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Eligibility mandated Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 and adequate hematologic, renal, and hepatic function. Paclitaxel 135 mg/m2 over 24 hours preceded carboplatin dosed to an area under the concentration-time curve of 7.5. Six planned courses were given every 3 weeks. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was introduced during the second and subsequent cycles, and paclitaxel increased 40 mg/m2/cycle (maximum, 215 mg/m2) in patients with absolute neutrophil and platelet nadirs exceeding 500/microL and 50,000/microL, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, observed in 54% of patients during cycle 1, declined to 35% during cycle 2 and to 22% or less during cycles 3 through 6. Neuropathy, myalgias/arthralgias, and thrombocytopenia were mild but cumulative. In 53 evaluable patients, the objective response rate was 62%, with 9% complete remissions and a median response duration of 6 months (range, 1 to 19+ months). At median potential follow-up of 16 months, 9% of patients remain progression free (52+ to 80+ weeks). Median survival is 12.5 months; 1-year survival is 54%. Paclitaxel/carboplatin is highly active in advanced non-small cell lung cancer; granulocyte colony-stimulating factor abrogates neutropenia as the dose-limiting toxicity, but has no effect on the cumulative incidence of thrombocytopenia or treatment delays. One-hour paclitaxel infusion is minimally myelosuppressive, logistically easier, and less costly. A follow-up study combined paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) over 1 hour followed by carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve, 7.5). In the absence of grade 4 myelosuppression, paclitaxel was increased 35 mg/m2/cycle (maximum, 280 mg/m2). Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was implemented only after neutropenic fever or grade 4 neutropenia. Of 17 patients entered, 13 are evaluable for toxicity and seven for response. Four patients have sustained a partial response, two a minor response, and one stable disease. The incidence of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia in cycle 1 was 38%, 16%, and 0%, respectively, and 72%, 28%, and 28%, respectively, during cycle 2. Major nonhematologic toxicities include myalgias and arthralgias (54%) and fatigue and neuropathy (78%), the latter cumulative and progressive over successive cycles. Preliminary data suggest comparable activity for the 1- and 24 hour paclitaxel infusions in combination with carboplatin. The more severe neuropathy of the 1-hour paclitaxel/carboplatin combination may be related to the paclitaxel dosing schema (175 mg/m2 to as high as 280 mg/m2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Pretreatment p53 protein expression correlates with decreased survival in patients with end-stage head and neck cancer.

Relatively little is known about p53 changes in far-advanced head and neck cancer for several reasons: (a) most patients respond well to initial treatment; (b) most institutions do not encounter large numbers of these patients; (c) recurrent or metastatic disease is often within body cavities inaccessible for analysis; and (d) the variety of treatment regimens and disease sites makes meaningful conclusions difficult to draw in such a heterogeneous group. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of p53 mutations and overexpression in a homogeneous group of patients with end-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Pretreatment tumor specimens from a homogeneous group of 16 patients with end-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were obtained. All patients had recurred after surgery and radiation +/- induction chemotherapy, and all met the criteria for enrollment in a Phase II chemotherapy trial consisting of 5-fluorouracil, N-phosphoacetyl-L-aspartate, and recombinant IFN-alpha. Each was analyzed for mutations in exons 5-8 of the p53 gene and protein expression using the p53 polyclonal antibody CM-1. No relationship was found between p53 immunostain or p53 mutations and age, gender, site of primary tumor, or site of disease recurrence. p53 alterations also did not correlate with response to Phase II chemotherapy. p53 immunostain (but not p53 mutations) correlated with a shorter survival (P = 0.0124) after diagnosis with end-stage disease. This suggests that mechanisms other than p53 mutations which alter the half-life of p53 protein may contribute to the outcome of these patients.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1993

Report of phase II trial of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with radical thoracic irradiation (60 Gy), infusional fluorouracil, bolus cisplatin and etoposide for clinical stage IIIB and bulky IIIA non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To assess the response rate, median and long-term survival of patients (pts) with locally advanced, initially inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated on a phase II study of radical thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) and concurrent radiosensitizing chemotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: From 3/87 to 7/90, 41 previously untreated patients at Fox Chase Cancer Center with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, 24 with bulky clinical Stage IIIA, and 17 with IIIB disease, received concurrent thoracic radiotherapy (60 Gy/2.0 Gy/d in 6 weeks) and 2 cycles of infusional 5FU (640-800 mg/m2/24 hrs x 5 d); cisplatin (20 mg/m2 qd x 5); and etoposide (50 mg/m2 d 1, 2, 5) administered days 1 and 28 of TRT. RESULTS: Forty of 41 were evaluable. Response rate was 90%, with radiographic CR in 20%. Thirteen pts (33%) underwent thoracotomy and complete resection with clinical downstaging in 10, including three pathologic CR's. Overall median survival was 14 months and 2-year survival was 38% with no difference between CS IIIA and IIIB pts (p = 0.2224). At median potential follow-up of 42 months, 8/40 pts. (20%) are alive and progression-free, including 4 of 13 resected pts. The chief toxicity was esophagitis, occurring in 32 pts. (80%), Grade 3-4 in 21 (52%), with 13 (33%) requiring hospitalization and 7 (18%) needing TPN. Grade 3-4 granulocytopenia was noted in 20 pts. (50%) with ten episodes of fever mandating intravenous antibiotics. Cardiac ischemia was documented in 2 (5%). Of 13 thoracotomy pts, six underwent lobectomy without perioperative mortality; 3 of 7 pneumonectomy pts died post-operatively, two from broncopleural fistula, and one from ARDS. CONCLUSION: This aggressive regimen produced a 2-year survival (38%) comparable to the best arm of cancer and leukemia groups B study 8433, which administered radical thoracic radiotherapy after protoadjuvant vinblastine and cisplatin in similar and earlier stage non-small cell lung cancer patients. Toxicity, particularly esophagitis, was severe, but of short duration. An unacceptably high complication rate was seen following pneumonectomy, but not lobectomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Intraperitoneal cisplatin and etoposide in peritoneal mesothelioma: favorable outcome with a multimodality approach.

Ten patients with histologically documented peritoneal mesothelioma were treated with intraperitoneal cisplatin 200 mg/m2, sodium thiosulfate rescue and etoposide 65-290 mg/m2 every 4 weeks for a maximum of six cycles. All had epithelial or mixed epithelial-fibrous histology. Toxicity was tolerable, with 50% sustaining grade 3 or 4 granulocytopenia. There was one episode of neutropenic fever. Grade 2 peripheral neuropathy occurred in one patient, grade 1 in five patients. Complete remission occurred in one of five patients with measurable disease. Median survival for patients whose tumors were surgically debulked to < 2 cm residua prior to treatment was 22 months, while it was 5 months for those with measurable, surgically inaccessible disease (P = 0.0731 by Cox regression proportional hazard model). These data suggest that patients who present with resectable disease may benefit from an aggressive adjuvant approach. This possibility warrants prospective testing in a randomized clinical trial.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Postoperative complications after combined neoadjuvant treatment of lung cancer.

Preoperative chemotherapy and radiation administered separately or in combination have been used in the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. To assess the postoperative morbidity and mortality associated with aggressive neoadjuvant therapy, we reviewed the records of 13 patients who underwent resection of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer after two monthly cycles of infusional 5-fluorouracil, 640 to 800 mg/m2 (days 1 through 5); cisplatin, 20 mg/m2 (days 1 through 5); etoposide, 50 mg/m2 (days 1, 3, and 5); and concomitant radical thoracic irradiation (6,000 cGy) administered in 200-cGy daily fractions. Six patients underwent lobectomy with no mortality, whereas 7 pneumonectomies were associated with three deaths (43%). Culture-negative, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates developed 3 to 6 days after operation in 5 of 7 pneumonectomy patients and in 1 of 6 lobectomy patients. Two patients who had undergone pneumonectomy died of progressive adult respiratory distress syndrome. A third death resulted from a bronchopleural fistula that developed 30 days after pneumonectomy. Morbidity and mortality were not associated with preoperative pulmonary function test results, nutritional status, or intraoperative inspired oxygen fraction (p > 0.05 by chi 2 test). Only pneumonectomy correlated with increased morbidity and mortality (p < 0.05 by chi 2 test). We conclude that lobectomy may be performed safely after this combination of aggressive chemotherapy and high-dose radiation, but pneumonectomy is associated with unacceptable morbidity and mortality.

Adult↗