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Pharmacokinetic modulation of oral etoposide by ketoconazole in patients with advanced cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

Etoposide is a widely used cytotoxic drug that is commercially available in both intravenous and oral formulations. High interpatient pharmacokinetic variability has been associated with oral etoposide administration. Various strategies used in the past to reduce such variability have not been successful. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate if pharmacokinetic modulation of oral etoposide with ketoconazole could lead to a favorable alteration of etoposide pharmacokinetics, and to assess the feasibility and safety of this approach.

Methods

Thirty-two patients were treated with ketoconazole 200 mg daily with an escalating dose of oral etoposide starting at a dose of 50 mg every other day. Pharmacokinetic samples were obtained during the first treatment cycle after the administration of an oral etoposide and ketoconazole dose. Additional baseline pharmacokinetic studies of etoposide alone were performed 4 days prior to the first treatment cycle.

Results

Dose limiting toxicities were neutropenia and fatigue. Ketoconazole increased the area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) of oral etoposide by a median of 20% (p < 0.005). Ketoconazole did not reduce the interpatient variability in etoposide pharmacokinetics. Pretreatment bilirubin levels correlated with etoposide clearance (Spearman’s r = −0.48, p = 0.008). The maximum tolerated dose was etoposide administered at 50 mg daily and ketoconazole 200 mg qd for 3 of 5 weeks.

Conclusions

Ketoconazole reduces the apparent clearance of oral etoposide, does not alter its toxicity profile and does not reduce interpatient pharmacokinetic variability. Other methods to reduce the pharmacokinetic variability of oral etoposide are needed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC2115, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Wei Peng Yong, Apurva A. Desai, Federico Innocenti, Dale Shepard, Ken Kobayashi & Mark J. Ratain

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Apurva A. Desai, Federico Innocenti, Jacqueline Ramirez, Ken Kobayashi, Larry House, Gini F. Fleming, Nicholas J. Vogelzang, Richard L. Schilsky & Mark J. Ratain

  3. Cancer Research Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Apurva A. Desai, Federico Innocenti, Gini F. Fleming, Nicholas J. Vogelzang, Richard L. Schilsky & Mark J. Ratain

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  1. Wei Peng Yong
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  2. Apurva A. Desai
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Correspondence to Mark J. Ratain.

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Yong, W.P., Desai, A.A., Innocenti, F. et al. Pharmacokinetic modulation of oral etoposide by ketoconazole in patients with advanced cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 60, 811–819 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-007-0428-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-007-0428-5

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