Abstract
Purpose: In a phase II trial, the activity of carzelesin, a cyclopropylpyrroloindole prodrug analog, was assessed. Patients and methods: Carzelesin was used as second- or third-line chemotherapy in patients with breast, ovarian, head and neck cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and as first-line chemotherapy in patients with colorectal and gastric cancer and melanoma. The drug was given as a bolus infusion at a 4-weekly dose of 150 μg/m2. A total of 140 patients were entered and a total of 285 courses were administered. Results: In general, the compound was well tolerated. Myelotoxicity was the most common toxicity. Grade 3 and 4 leukopenia was observed in 18.6% of the courses, neutropenia in 20.3%, thrombocytopenia in 16.2% and anemia in 8.7%. Double nadirs were seen in a total of 41 courses for neutrophils, in 40 for leukocytes and in 3 for platelets. Non-hematological toxicity was very mild. Only one partial response in a patient with melanoma was seen. Conclusions: At this dose and schedule carzelesin did not yield activity in the types of tumors studied.
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Received: 8 December 1999 / Accepted: 10 April 2000
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Pavlidis, N., Aamdal, S., Awada, A. et al. Carzelesin phase II study in advanced breast, ovarian, colorectal, gastric, head and neck cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and malignant melanoma: a study of the EORTC early clinical studies group (ECSG). Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 46, 167–171 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002800000134
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002800000134