title: A phase I study of intermittent continuous infusion high dose cytosine arabinoside for acute leukemia.
abstract: We previously administered ara-C at a dose rate of 250 mg/m2/hr for 36-72 hr to patients with leukemia. Gastrointestinal toxicity was dose-limiting. This regimen was modified to an every other day schedule, administering 24-hr periods of high dose continuous infusion ara-C, each followed by a 24-hr rest period. Sixteen patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (N = 4), secondary AML (N = 2), relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (N = 7), or CML in blast crisis (N = 3) received this regimen of three 24-hr infusions with two intercurrent 24-hr rest periods. Grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity was encountered in 57% of the courses, and hypoplasia was achieved in all patients. Three of the patients died while hypoplastic, two with septicemia and another with intracranial hemorrhage. There were five responding patients (2 CRs, 3 PRs). Median steady-state plasma ara-C levels were 24 microM, 22 microM, and 20 microM during the first, second, and third 24-hr infusions, respectively. Ara-C levels ranged from 4-118 microM during the infusions and were always below 4.5 microM during the rest periods. A significant level of ara-C incorporation into DNA was detected in each of the five patients studied, thus demonstrating that (ara-C)DNA formation is detectable in blasts from patients receiving high dose continuous infusion ara-C therapy. These findings suggest that alternate day continuous infusion ara-C may be useful in the treatment of acute leukemia and CML in blast crisis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Spriggs
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Dhawan
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Arthur
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kufe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001752:Blast Crisis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine