title: A clinical trial of the oral form of 4'-demethyl-epipodophyllotoxin-beta-D ethylidene glucoside (NSC 141540) VP 16-213.
abstract: A clinical trial of the oral form of VP 16-213 (NSC-141540), a semisynthetic podophyllotoxin, was undertaken. In 20 patients, treatment was started at 200 mg/day p.o. for 5 days; courses were repeated after a rest period of 16 days. Five patients were treated at the same dose, repeated with only 9-day rest periods. Subsequently, 65 patients were given 300-400 mg/day for 5 days, with rest periods of 9 days between courses. The side effects encountered included anorexia, nausea and vomiting, stomatitis, diarrhea, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, alopecia, and pruritus. Substernal discomfort with or without palpitations was reported by 18 patients; no explanation for this symptom could be found. No complete remissions (CR) were observed. Parital remissions (PR) and improvement (IMP) were seen as follows: small cell carcinoma, lung (10 patients)--2 PR, 3 IMP; adenocarcinoma, lung (4 patients)--1 PR; alveolar cell carcinoma, lung (1 patient)--1 IMP; mesothelioma (4 patients)--1 IMP; ovarian cancer (12 patients)--3 PR, 3 IMP; breast cancer (20 patients)--4 IMP; colon cancer (8 patients)--2 IMP; bladder cancer (4 patients)--2 IMP; histiocytic lymphoma (7 patients)--2 PR, 3 IMP; chronic myeloid leukemia (1 patient)--1 IMP.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D002282:Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar / Q000188:drug therapy; D000284:Administration, Oral; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005960:Glucosides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000188:drug therapy; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011034:Podophyllotoxin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D005960:Glucosides; D011034:Podophyllotoxin