title: Protection of normal tissues from the cytotoxic effects of radiation therapy: focus on amifostine.
abstract: Evidence for the use of amifostine (Ethyol, ALZA Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto, CA/US Bioscience, West Conshohocken, PA) as a radioprotectant has been gathered in a number of clinical trials conducted over the past decade. This report briefly reviews those trials, as well as highlights results of a recent phase II trial conducted to evaluate the efficacy of daily amifostine administration in reducing the incidence of radiation-induced esophagitis in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer. Of 25 patients evaluated, none experienced grade 3 or 4 esophagitis or dyspnea. No patients required discontinuation of therapy due to amifostine-induced hypotension. There was a 60% objective response rate and 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 55%, 23%, and 23%, respectively. Thus, amifostine administration reduced radiation-induced toxicities without reducing antitumor efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D004999:Amifostine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D004947:Esophagus / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D011837:Radiation-Protective Agents; D004999:Amifostine