title: Clinical pharmacodynamics of continuous-infusion etoposide.
abstract: Continuous-infusion etoposide was given to 15 patients with newly diagnosed small-cell lung cancer (extensive disease) and 10 patients with various refractory malignancies. The untreated patients with lung cancer received 200 mg/m2 etoposide over 24 h in combination with 100 mg/m2 cisplatin, and the pretreated patients received 400 mg/m2 etoposide over 36 h as monotherapy. Pharmacokinetic studies of etoposide were carried out in all patients. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure etoposide. All patients had normal hepatic and renal function tests and were followed weekly for hematologic toxicity after therapy. In all, 14 untreated and 9 pretreated patients were evaluable. Biostatistical analysis was done to correlate pharmacokinetic results to hematologic effects. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for continuous variables (i.e., blood counts), and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated for ranked variables (i.e., toxicity grades). The values for the area under the plasma concentration vs time curve (AUC) and systemic clearance varied widely among patients. However, the AUC and clearance were significantly correlated (P less than 0.05) with the WBC and platelet nadirs and the decrease in hemoglobin. The grade of leukopenia and total grade of hematologic toxicity were also correlated with AUC and clearance. Because the interpatient variability in etoposide pharmacokinetics correlates with the variable degree of hematologic toxicity, pharmacokinetic drug monitoring is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis 38163.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Tolley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide