title: Phase II evaluation of dihydroxyanthracenedione (DHAD, NSC 301739) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
abstract: Thirty-one patients with measureable metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to 5-fluorouracil-containing regimens received dihydroxyanthracenedione (DHAD, NSC 301739) on a 5-day I.V. schedule administered every 4 weeks. Good-risk patients received DHAD at the starting daily dose of 4 mg/m2 while patients who had had therapy with radiation or myelosuppressive drugs such as mitomycin C or a nitrosourea compound received an initial daily dose of 3 mg/m2. There were no complete or partial remissions in this study. Eight of 30 evaluable patients had disease stabilization. The dose-limiting toxic effect was myelosuppression; neutropenia was more severe than thrombocytopenia. The myelosuppression was more severe in patients who had poor bone marrow reserves and abnormal pretreatment liver functions (serum alkaline phosphatase and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase) levels greater than or equal to 1.5 times normal). DHAD administered by the 5-day dose schedule as used in this study is not effective against colorectal cancer.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000880:Anthraquinones; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008942:Mitoxantrone