title: Pharmacokinetics of ketoconazole in patients with neoplastic diseases.
abstract: Twenty-seven patients with advanced malignancies were given 200 mg of ketoconazole orally every 6 or 12 h. Blood samples were collected during these intervals and after the last dose to determine plasma concentrations and half-lives. The mean plasma concentrations measured after the initial dose were 1.7 +/- 1.1 microgram/ml at 2 h, 0.9 +/- 0.2 microgram/ml at 6 h, and 0.7 +/- 0.4 microgram/ml at 8 h. Plasma concentrations rose significantly in patients on the every-6-h schedule. Concentrations were more variable in patients on the every-12-h schedule, and changes in  mean plasma concentrations after 7 and 14 days were not significant. Half-lives ranged from 1.3 to 11.6 h in individual patients. The mean half-life for all patients studied was 3.7 +/- 0.6 h on day 1. The calculated area under the curve was 12.0 +/- 4.7 micrograms-h/ml on day 1; it increased after 7 and 14 days of administration (every-6-h schedule), suggesting plasma binding or wide drug distribution or both. Saturation of storage compartments is also suggested. Less than 1% of the administered dose was recoverable as active drug from the urine over 6 h.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D007654:Ketoconazole; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D007093:Imidazoles; D010879:Piperazines; D007654:Ketoconazole