title: High-dose VP 16-213 (NSC 141540) for the treatment of patients with previously treated acute leukemia.
abstract: Thirteen patients with relapsed acute leukemia, 12 adults with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia, and one child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were treated with VP 16-213, an epipodophyllotoxin analog, at a dose of 200-300 mg/m2/day X5 as a 2-hour intravenous infusion. Only four patients achieved bone marrow aplasia and three regenerated with leukemic cells. The fourth patient achieved a partial remission for 4 weeks. Toxicities included myelosuppression (WBC nadir 500/microliter), nausea and vomiting (70% of courses), mucositis (23%), esophagitis (12%), which contributed to death in one patient, hypotension (12%), and transient liver function abnormalities (12%). It is concluded that increasing the dose of VP 16-213 as employed in this study did not increase the therapeutic activity of VP 16-213 for the treatment of relapsed leukemia but did increase the risk of toxicity.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000139:chemically induced; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011034:Podophyllotoxin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005047:Etoposide; D011034:Podophyllotoxin