title: The pharmacokinetics of melphalan during intermittent therapy of multiple myeloma.
abstract: During intermittent melphalan-prednisone therapy the area under the plasma concentration-time curve of melphalan increased by an average of 45% after oral or intravenous administration of the drug in myeloma patients during the initial three courses at six-week intervals. The rise in melphalan plasma concentrations could not be referred to an alteration in melphalan elimination, metabolism, erythrocyte/plasma partition ratio, or protein binding. A possible explanation could be that covalent binding sites of melphalan were successively saturated during intermittent treatment, resulting in higher drug concentrations during successive courses of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Loos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Musch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hartlapp
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hügl
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Dengler
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D008558:Melphalan; D011241:Prednisone