title: Pilot phase I-II study on 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (Decitabine) in patients with metastatic lung cancer.
abstract: 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-CdR, Decitabine) is a nucleoside analog and an active drug for the therapy of acute leukemia. The incorporation of 5-AZA-CdR into DNA blocks DNA methylation and can result in the activation of specific genes, such as tumor suppressor genes. This novel mechanism of action of 5-AZA-CdR stimulated our interest in its potential for cancer therapy in patients with lung cancer. Using a colony assay we observed that 5-AZA-CdR showed a potent antineoplastic effect against two human lung carcinoma cell lines. The objective of this preliminary phase I-II study was to evaluate the toxicity and clinical efficacy of 5-AZA-CdR in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung carcinoma. There were 15 patients that entered the clinical study. For nine assessable patients that received 5-AZA-CdR by a single 8 h i.v. infusion of 200-660 mg/m2 for one or more cycles, the median survival duration was 6.7 months, with three patients surviving more than 15 months. The steady-state plasma concentration of 5-AZA-CdR during the infusion was estimated in some patients and was in the same range that produced activation of a tumor suppressor gene in human lung tumor cell lines as reported by other investigators. The major side effect of 5-AZA-CdR was hematopoietic toxicity which required a 5-6 week recovery period before the next cycle of therapy. This study suggests that 5-AZA-CdR may have some clinical activity against metastatic lung carcinoma using this type of dose schedule.
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche pédiatrique, Hôpital Ste-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Momparler
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Bouffard
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Momparler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dionne
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Belanger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ayoub
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D000077209:Decitabine; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000077209:Decitabine; D001374:Azacitidine