Cisplatin, gemcitabine, and ifosfamide as weekly therapy: a feasibility and phase II study of salvage treatment for advanced transitional-cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the feasibility, safety, and antitumor activity of weekly gemcitabine given in combination with low doses of cisplatin and ifosfamide in previously treated patients with advanced transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urothelium.


METHODS
Patients with measurable, metastatic or unresectable TCC who had received one or two prior chemotherapy regimens were eligible. On a 28-day course, doses of cisplatin 30 mg/m(2), gemcitabine 800 mg/m(2), and ifosfamide 1 g/m(2) were given on day 1 and then repeated on day 8 and day 15 unless there was dose-limiting hematologic toxicity.


RESULTS
Fifty-one patients were registered; 10 patients participated in a pilot study, after which 41 patients were registered onto the phase II protocol. Forty-eight patients (94.1%) had dose-limiting hematologic toxicity on day 8 or day 15. Nonhematologic toxicity of grade 3 or greater consisted mainly of nausea and vomiting (seven patients, 13.7%) and infection (seven patients, 13.7%). Responses could be assessed in 49 of 51 eligible patients; two complete responses (4.1%) and 18 partial responses (36.7%) were observed for an overall response rate of 40.8% (exact 95% confidence interval, 27% to 56%).


CONCLUSIONS
This regimen of cisplatin, gemcitabine, and ifosfamide is not feasible for weekly administration because of hematologic toxicity. Nevertheless, there was promising activity with only two doses per 28-day cycle. On the basis of these results, we have initiated a phase II trial of this combination given as a single dose every 14 days in patients with untreated, metastatic urothelial carcinoma.
Pagliaro
Lance C
LC
Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA. lpagliar@mdanderson.org
Millikan
Randall E
RE
Tu
Shi-Ming
SM
Williams
Dallas
D
Daliani
Danai
D
Papandreou
Christos N
CN
Logothetis
Christopher J
CJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002945:Cisplatin; D007069:Ifosfamide; D000093542:Gemcitabine