4'Epidoxorubicin (epirubicin): activity in hepatocellular carcinoma.
Doxorubicin provides the most consistent response rate in hepatocellular carcinoma. We therefore initiated a trial with its analog 4'epidoxorubicin. Eighteen patients, all without prior treatment, were given the drug as a single agent every 3 weeks with dose escalation whenever possible. Five patients were treated by six-hour infusion and 13 by intravenous (IV) bolus injection, with the median dose being 90 mg/m2. The patients were of diverse ethnic background and included some with underlying cirrhosis and hepatitis B surface antigenemia. Three patients had partial remissions (6, 12, 48 weeks) for a response rate of 17%. Four patients also had prolonged stable disease (14, 26, 27, 38 weeks). Toxicity was mild, although cardiac toxicity developed in three patients at 685, 825, and 1,460 mg/m2 cumulative dose. The response to 4'epidoxorubicin in this study appears to be equivalent to the reported response rates for doxorubicin, with decreased toxicity.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D015251:Epirubicin; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D015251:Epirubicin; D004317:Doxorubicin