title: Potential role of oral anthracyclines in older patients with cancer.
abstract: Two anthracycline analogues, idarubicin and menogaril, have acceptable bioavailability via the oral route of administration. Encouraging antitumour activity of oral idarubicin has been reported in breast cancer, non-lymphocytic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and myeloma. The outlook for menogaril is less clear, given the modest antitumour activity reported so far. Although the oral formulations of idarubicin and menogaril remain investigational, they represent a step forward in the direction of developing new active anticancer drugs with oral bio-availability. Further prospective studies of the orally-active anthracyclines in elderly patients with cancer are justified. These studies should address specific issues such as optimal dosage regimens as a function of 'physiological age', and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Interne, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lasota
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: de Valeriola
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Piccart
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D001682:Biological Availability; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D017290:Menogaril / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D017290:Menogaril; D015255:Idarubicin