Summary
A randomized phase II study of AMSA (amsacrine) alone and AMSA combined with DTIC (dacarbazine) was carried out in 31 and 39 patients with metastatic melanoma respectively. AMSA was used at a starting dose of 40 mg/m2/day × 3 days with escalation to 50–60 mg/m2/day × 3 days in 8 pts. For AMSA + DTIC the starting dose was: AMSA 30 mg/m2/day × 3 days; DTIC, 800 mg/m2 × 1 day. Additionally, seven pts received AMSA in a similar dose schedule but DTIC was used in a 5-day schedule of 250 mg/m2/day. Twentyfive patients were evaluable for response in the AMSA group and 36 in the AMSA + DTIC group. The objective response to AMSA included 1(4%) partial response compared with 11 complete or partial responses (30%) with AMSA + DTIC therapy. The median lowest absolute granulocyte count was 1100/μl in AMSA group compared with 1000/μl in the AMSA + DTIC group. Severe neutropenia of < 500 granulocytes/μl was observed in 5 pts in the AMSA group compared with 13 pts in the AMSA + DTIC group. We concluded that AMSA has no significant activity against melanoma, although the combination of AMSA + DTIC seemed to be more active than DTIC alone.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Louie AC, and Issell BF: Amsacrine (AMSA) — A clinical review. J Clin Oncol 3:4, 562–589, 1985
Legha SS, Hall SW, Powell KC, Burgess MA, Benjamin RS, Gutterman JU, Bodey GP: Phase II study of 4′-(9-acridinyl-amino) methane sulfon-m-anisidide (AMSA) in metastatic melanoma. Cancer Clin Trials 3:111–114, 1980
Houghton AN, Camacho F, Wittes R, Young CW: Phase II study of AMSA in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. Cancer Treat Rep 65:170–171, 1981
Coates AS, Bishop J, Mann GJ, Ragleason D: Chemotherapy in metastatic melanoma. Phase II studies of Amsacrine, mitoxantrone and bisantrene. Eur J Cancer Clin Oncol 22:97–100, 1986
Benjamin RS, Gutterman JU, McKelvey E, Einhorn LM, Livingston RB, Gottlieb JA: Systemic chemotherapy for melanoma, in neoplasms of the skin and malignant melanoma, Year Book Medical Publishers Inc 1976, p 461–470
Constanza ME, Nathanson L, Schoenfeld D, Woher J, Colsky J, Regelson W, Cunningham T and Sedroask N: Results with methyl-CCNU and DTIC in metastatic melanoma. Cancer 40:1010–1015, 1977
McKelvey EM, Luce JK, Talley RW, Hersh EM, Hewlett JS, Moon TE Combination chemotherapy with bischloroethylnitrosourea (BCNU) vincristine and dimethyltriazeno-imidazole-carboxamide (DTIC) in disseminated malignant melanoma. Cancer 39:1–4, 1977
Arseneau JC, Walter JM, Probert JC, Kupermine M: Phase II study of m-AMSA in advanced malignant melanoma. Am J Clin Oncol 5:433–436, 1982
Nathanson L, Kaufman SD, Carey RW: Vinblastine infusion bleomycin, and cis-dichlorodiammine platinum chemotherapy in metastatic melanoma. Cancer 48:1290–1294, 1981
Richman SP, Woodcock TM, Kubota TT, Blumenreich MS, Gentile PS, Allegra JC: Phase II trial of vinblastine, bleomycin, and cisplatinum, followed by dacarbazine and mitolactol in metastatic melanoma. Cancer Treat Rep 68:1395–1396, 1984
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Polyzos, A., Legha, S.S., Burgess, A.M. et al. Phase II study of AMSA alone and in combination with DTIC in patients with metastatic melanoma. Invest New Drugs 6, 57–61 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170782
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170782