A phase II study in advanced breast cancer: ZD1694 ('Tomudex') a novel direct and specific thymidylate synthase inhibitor.

ZD1694 ('Tomudex'), a novel, direct and specific thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitor, was developed in a collaborative research programme between Zeneca Pharmaceuticals and the Institute of Cancer Research (UK) and entered clinical trials in 1991; phase II studies began in 1992, using 3.0 mg m-2 every 3 weeks as a short 15 min infusion. Forty-six patients entered a phase II study of ZD1694 in advanced breast cancer. A total of 74% of patients had received prior systemic therapy (either as adjuvant cytotoxic or hormonal therapy or hormone therapy for advanced disease); 39% had received prior adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy. All patients had measurable disease and 50% had liver metastases. In all 43 patients were evaluable for response. Of these patients 26% achieved complete (CR) or partial response (PR) (95% Cl 14-42%). A response rate of 44% was seen in liver metastases. Two patients achieved CR of 265 and 301 days' duration respectively, one in locoregional disease, and one in liver metastases. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were nausea and vomiting (11%), diarrhoea (11%) and leucopenia (20%). Grade 3/4, self-limited and reversible increases in transaminases were seen in 22% of patients. ZD1694 has useful single agent activity in patients with hormone-refractory advanced breast cancer, comparable with that reported for other anti-metabolites, with acceptable tolerability.

Fluorouracil versus folinic acid/fluorouracil in advanced colorectal cancer--preliminary results of a randomized trial.

Patients with advanced colorectal cancer were randomized to receive either fluorouracil (5-FU) 370 mg/m2 IV days 1 to 5 followed by weekly applications of 5-FU 600 mg/m2 or the same doses of 5-FU preceded by folinic acid 200 mg/m2. Because of toxicity, the weekly 5-FU dose in the combination treatment schedule was reduced to 500 mg/m2 in the course of the study. As of November 1990, 135 patients entered the study; 71 have received combination therapy, and 64 monotherapy. Sixty-three and 59 patients, respectively, are included in the present interim analysis. The two groups are well matched for age, performance status, site of disease, number of metastatic sites, and biochemical parameters. Treatment results are evaluable in 118 patients. Thirty percent receiving combination treatment and 20% receiving monotherapy achieved a complete or partial remission. There is no survival time difference between the groups. However, time to progression is superior in the combination treatment group (median 26 weeks compared with 13 weeks). The main toxicity was diarrhea during the weekly therapy. This was especially true for patients receiving combination treatment before the reduction of 5-FU dosage. In contrast to only four of 56 patients with monotherapy, 14 of 39 with the combination treatment at the initial dosage had severe diarrhea with two treatment-related deaths in this latter group. By reduction of 5-FU dosage during the weekly therapy severe diarrhea could be clearly reduced with only one of 18 patients suffering from diarrhea of World Health Organization grade 3. Other toxicity was usually mild. In conclusion, a prolongation of time to progression could be achieved by combination treatment of folinic acid and 5-FU, which was well tolerated when the weekly dose of 5-FU did not exceed 500 mg/m2.

Phase II study of vinorelbine by oral route (in a hard gelatine capsule) for metastatic breast cancer patients. A trial of the phase I/II study group of the Association for Medical Oncology of the German Cancer Society.

17 patients with advanced low-risk breast carcinoma not previously pretreated by cytostatic agents were treated by Vinorelbine (VIN), 5'-Nor-anhydro-vinblastine, a new semisynthetic compound of the vinca alkaloid series. A dose of 130 mg per week was administered in a hard gelatine formulation for at least eight weeks. Out of 15 evaluable patients, no complete or partial remission was observed. However, there were 9 patients (60%) achieving no change and tumor stabilization, respectively, lasting for a median of 3.0 months. Main toxicities were leukopenia (17.7%, WHO grade 3-4), nausea and vomiting (17.7%, WHO grade 3-4), and acute diarrhea (70.6%, WHO grade 1-4). Thus, further trials with the oral medication used for this study are not recommended.

Phase II study of pirarubicin in metastatic breast cancer.

Pirarubicin is a more lipophilic derivative of doxorubicin, with a higher uptake rate of cells, lower cardiotoxicity and better antitumor efficacy in preclinical models. Thirty-four patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated in a multicenter phase II study with pirarubicin (THP) using a dosage of 75 mg/m2/every 3 weeks. The patients had a median age of 56 years (range 41-73) and a performance status of WHO grade 0-2. Patients pretreated with anthracyclines, or who were older than 75 years and without sufficient bone marrow reserve were excluded. The 32 evaluable patients received a median number of 4 cycles (range 2-8). The myelosuppression was dose-limiting and led to infections (grades 1 and 2) in 5 patients. Twenty-eight patients developed leukocytopenia grade 3 and 4 toxicity and 7 patients experienced thrombocytopenia grade 1 and 2. The drug was subjectively well tolerated and nausea, vomiting and alopecia were mild. One complete remission with a duration of 15.4 months (67 weeks) and 7 partial remissions with a median duration of 9.3 months (40 weeks) were achieved, which resulted in an overall response rate of 25%. Twenty-one patients were stable for 17 weeks (median) under the treatment with pirarubicin.

Phase II study with etoposide in previously untreated advanced breast cancer.

A phase II study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and safety of etoposide used as first-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced breast carcinoma. A total of 20 patients received 230 mg/m2 i.v. etoposide per day for 3 days (total, 690 mg/m2 per course) every 4 weeks. A total of 95 courses were given. Observed responses included 3 partial remissions (PR) and 14 cases of stable disease (NC). The median duration of response was 6 (PR) and 5.6 months (NC). Contrary to the severe hematological toxicity in heavily pretreated patients described in previous studies, no substantial problems were observed in this trial. No dose reduction was necessary, and only once did leukopenia lead to a 1-week delay in therapy. An increase in platelets up to a maximum of 685,000/mm3 was seen in all patients, particularly in those with bone metastases. No relation to the quality of remission or pretreatment was seen. Nausea, vomiting, and fatique were mild and transient, but alopecia occurred in all cases. One patient developed nonfatal anaphylactic shock after etoposide treatment.

Medroxyprogesterone acetate and lipid metabolic changes.

Lipid metabolic changes under oral treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) were investigated in four groups of patients: group I; 10 patients aged 25-45 (mean 38) years received 50 mg MPA daily for pelvic endometriosis. Group II; 21 patients aged 55-77 (mean 62) years received 200 mg MPA daily for surgically treated endometrial carcinoma stage I. Group III; 14 praemenopausal patients aged 37-52 (mean 47) years received 1000 mg MPA daily for metastasized breast cancer. Group IV; 27 post-menopausal patients aged 53-78 (mean 68) years were treated with 1000 mg MPA daily for metastatic breast cancer as well. A fifth group of initially 86 patients aged 40-86 (mean 63) years after surgery for endometrial carcinoma stage I served as untreated control for groups II and IV. Cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were measured enzymatically lipoproteins were determined by quantitative electrophoresis and precipitation and apolipoproteins A1 and B were quantified by kinetic rate nephelometry. Whereas in patients of group I no changes of lipid and lipoprotein parameters were observed, daily oral doses of 200 mg MPA and more led to a marked fall in alpha-lipoprotein-, HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 levels. beta-Lipoprotein-, LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations rose significantly in Groups III and IV. The relevance of these findings in terms of athero-genicity is discussed.

Intensive short-term chemotherapy in patients with advanced breast cancer.

Aiming at a high complete remission rate with an intensive induction regimen, 27 patients with advanced breast cancer were given three cycles of VAC chemotherapy consisting of vindesine 3 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 and 12, adriamycin 40 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 and 12, and cyclophosphamide 200 mg/m2 p.o. on days 3-6 and 14-17 together with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) 1,500 mg p.o. daily during the induction phase and 1,000 mg p.o. thereafter until relapse. These VAC double cycles were repeated twice with 3-weekly intervals for a total induction period of 15 weeks. In responders, including no change, the chemotherapy was discontinued thereafter, and the patients were observed until relapse with a maintenance therapy of MPA 1,000 mg p.o. daily. A complete remission (CR) was achieved in 8 (29.6%) and a partial remission (PR) in 13 (48.2%) of the 27 patients (CR + PR 77.8%). A no change (NC) status was found in 6 patients (22.2%). There were no nonresponders. The median duration of the CR was 20 (5-42) months with two patients still in CR at 33 and 36 months, of the PR 8.3 (4-13.5) months, and of the NC 6.7 (2-13) months. The treatment was tolerated without life-threatening toxicity or interval prolongation by all patients. No dose-limiting cardiac toxicity was observed in these patients regularly controlled by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The high response rate of this intensive induction regimen warrants further investigation. Complete remission was achieved only in patients without previous chemotherapy, with marked tumor regression after the first chemotherapy cycle and when there was no extensive bone involvement.

Aminoglutethimide in the treatment of premenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Eighteen premenopausal patients with progressive metastatic breast cancer were treated with aminoglutethimide (AG)/cortisone. All patients received 1000 mg AG per day in combination with 2 X 25 mg cortisone acetate. Complete (CR) and partial remissions (PR) were achieved in 27.8%, a no change (NC) in 16.7% and progressive disease (PD) in 55.5% of all cases. The clinical results show that AG/cortisone acetate is effective in the therapy of premenopausal as well as postmenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer. One hormone receptor negative tumour completely responded. Contrary to postmenopausal patients whose low oestradiol levels continuously decrease, oestradiol levels in premenopausal patients were not influenced by treatment. A distinct suppression of the ovarian activity does not occur. Thus concluding, a mechanism--at least partially different from those in the postmenopause and not necessarily of endocrine nature--must exist in the premenopause. We, therefore, no longer think it justified to assert that the therapeutic effect of AG is merely based on medical adrenalectomy.

Aminoglutethimide and medroxyprogesterone acetate in the treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer. A phase II study of the Association of Medical Oncology of the German Cancer Society (AIO).

One hundred twenty-eight women with advanced metastatic breast cancer were treated with a combination of aminoglutethimide (AG) (1000 mg orally, daily) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) (1500 mg orally, daily for six weeks and thereafter 500 mg orally, daily; omitting cortisone substitution). AG/MPA did not lead to side effects other than those described under AG or MPA monotherapy. Mental and personality changes seem to be more severe and frequent under combined therapy than under monotherapy. Impairment of mental functions, depressive syndromes, fatigue, ataxia, skin rash, and transient increase of gammaglutamyl transferase appeared and disappeared within the first 4 to 6 weeks of treatment. Objective remissions of at least 3 months duration from initiation of therapy were seen in 21 of 128 patients (21.9%) (3.9% complete remission [CR], 18% partial remission [PR]). A no change (NC) status occurred in an additional 25.8%. The remission duration (mean and range) was 19 (10.5-54) for CR, 16.5 (4.5-52+) for PR and 6 (3-27) months for NC patients. The highest response rate was registered for patients with only bone involvement (PR, 11; and NC, 11 of 26 patients). There was a distinct correlation of response to prior systemic treatment, receptor status of the primary tumor, disease-free interval, menopausal status, age and condition of the patient. PR was obtained in 4 of 20 patients with receptor-negative primary tumors. These results justify a prospective trial comparing AG/MPA with other forms of endocrine therapy in selected patient subgroups.

[Responsible risks in the choice of palliative chemotherapy]. / Verantwortbare Risiken bei der Wahl der palliativen Chemotherapie.

The risk of tumor chemotherapy is weighed against its therapeutical potential. If there is a chance of a curative or life-prolonging treatment, the choice of a rather aggressive form of chemotherapy is justified. In the majority of patients with metastatic malignant diseases, however, life-prolongation is not achievable and the choice of a chemotherapy with life-threatening side-effects contra-indicated. Potential benefits and risk of chemotherapy are further exemplified in breast cancer.

[Megestrol acetate in various doses in the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma--clinical and endocrinologic studies]. / Megestrolazetat in verschiedenen Dosierungen bei der Behandlung des metastasierenden Mammakarzinoms--Klinische und endokrinologische Untersuchungen.

Both medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and megestrol acetate (MA) are effective in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Although the dose-dependent mode of actions of MPA have been extensively clarified, there is still some uncertainty regarding the mode of actions and dosage of MA. Thirty-three patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with various dosages of MA under a phase-II study. Eight patients were given 200 mg, 9 X 400 mg, 10 X 600 mg and 6 X 800 mg MA daily per os. The LH, FSH, TBI, T3, T4, TSH, ACTH, aldosterone, testosterone, prolactin and cortisol levels were determined regularly during treatment to enable the investigation of the pharmacodynamics of MA. A complete remission was achieved in two patients, a partial remission in seven patients and there was no change in eight patients (total responder rate 51.5%). The clinical and endocrine changes therefore suggest that the dose-dependent mode of actions of MPA and MA are identical. Equivalent dosages of MPA are 1000-1500 mg per os and of MA 160-200 mg. Furthermore, similar relationships between the endocrine changes and remission behaviour of MA and MPA have been observed. Persisting tumour remissions are inevitable under cortisol suppression and normal prolactin, aldosterone and ACTH levels.

[Changes in serum lipoproteins under hormonal therapy of breast carcinoma and other endocrine-dependent tumors]. / Veränderungen der Serumlipoproteine unter hormonellen Therapieformen des Mammakarzinoms und anderer endokrin abhängiger Tumoren.

The higher the low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (beta lipoprotein) level, the greater the risk that coronary heart disease will develop, alpha-lipoprotein fractions (high-density-lipoproteins) are considered to be protective factors. Medroxyprogesterone acetate is responsible for characteristic changes of the lipoprotein patterns indicating enhanced coronary risks. Medroxyprogesterone acetate is applied in the therapy of breast, uterus and ovarian cancer. A statistically significant decrease was observed in alpha-lipoproteins whereas beta-lipoproteins increased without statistical significance. A similar reaction can be observed under the combination therapy of aminoglutethimide and medroxyprogesterone acetate, whereas the combination of cortisone and aminoglutethimide has a distinct influence on beta-lipoproteins but the alpha-lipoprotein level remains uninfluenced. According to these data the effect of an adjuvant application of these drugs must be carefully evaluated due to an increase of coronary risks.

[Panmyelopathy induced by aminoglutethimide. Report of a clinical case]. / Panmyelopathie unter Aminoglutethimid. Ein Fallbericht.

Aminoglutethimide inhibits the synthesis of oestrogens in adrenal and non-adrenal tissues and can be successfully used in the treatment of advanced breast cancer. In this article, a case with aplastic anaemia, a rare but severe side effect of aminoglutethimide is reported.

Hyperprolactinemia is an indicator of progressive disease and poor prognosis in advanced breast cancer.

In a long-term follow-up study, prolactin levels were measured in 149 patients with advanced metastatic breast cancer. Control groups included 221 patients with primary operable breast cancer and 150 women with benign breast disease. Hyperprolactinemia (greater than 1,000 mIU/I; HYPRL) occurs in 44% of patients with metastatic breast cancer in the course of the disease (p less than 0.001 compared to patients with non-metastatic disease). HYPRL is associated with progressive breast cancer in 88% of cases. In patients experiencing several episodes of disease remission and relapse, incidence of HYPRL increases with each relapse. Prolactin blood levels return to normal if hyperprolactinemic patients experience remission after chemotherapy. Patients expressing HYPRL have a shorter survival time after mastectomy when compared to patients who never developed HYPRL (154/89 months, p = 0.01). It is concluded that HYPRL is of prognostic significance and a reliable indicator of progressive disease in advanced metastatic breast cancer.