title: Pharmacokinetically guided dosing for intravenous melphalan: a pilot study in patients with advanced ovarian adenocarcinoma.
abstract: Pharmacokinetically guided administration of melphalan was investigated during a pilot study in patients with advanced ovarian adenocarcinoma. The schedule involved a fixed dose on day 1 (7.9 mg) followed by a second dose on day 2, calculated on the basis of pharmacokinetic data to achieve a target area under the concentration-time curve (AUC). 20 courses of intravenous melphalan were administered to 7 patients. AUC, standardised to 1 mg/m2, ranged between 4.3 and 8.9 (mg/l) min. In 12 fully evaluable courses, less than 15% deviation from the target AUC was found, showing that AUC monitoring was possible by means of the test dose. Pharmacodynamic effects showed a positive correlation with melphalan AUC. Myelosuppression appeared at 47 (mg/l) min and grade 3 or 4 haematological toxicities were observed in 4 cycles, associated with AUC values ranging between 86 and 112 (mg/l) min. Relative leucocyte decreases were well correlated with AUC values.
authors.affiliation: Département de Médecine, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Ploin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tranchand
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Guastalla
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rebattu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chauvin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clavel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ardiet
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000368:Aged; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D008558:Melphalan