title: Treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer with opioid growth factor: phase I.
abstract: Opioid growth factor (OGF) is an endogenous pentapeptide that inhibits growth of human pancreatic cancer cells in culture, as well as xenografts in nude mice. To establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and determine safety and toxicity of OGF, a phase I trial was performed in patients with advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer. Patients with unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma were treated with escalating doses of OGF for 30 min i.v. to determine the MTD. The s.c. route of administration also was evaluated. Once the MTD was established, a group of patients was treated chronically, and monitored for safety and toxicity. Hypotension was the dose-limiting toxicity, resulting in a MTD of 250 microg/kg i.v. Due to limited solubility of OGF in small volumes, a maximum dose of 50 microg/kg twice daily was determined by the s.c. route of administration. No adverse events were reported for oxygen saturation, cardiac rhythm, laboratory values or neurological status in either the acute or chronic parts of the study with the i.v. or s.c. routes. During the chronic i.v. phase, two subjects had resolution of liver metastases and one showed regression of the pancreatic tumor. Mean survival from the time of diagnosis was 8.7 months (range 2-23 months) in the i.v. group and 9.5 months (range 1-18 months) in the s.c. group. We conclude that OGF can be safely administered to patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of OGF alone or in combination with present modes of therapy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. jsmith2@psu.edu
authors.forename: Jill P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Conter
authors.forename: Sandra I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Bingaman
authors.forename: Harold A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Mauger
authors.forename: Mejdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Lawrence M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Demers
authors.forename: Wayne B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Zagon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D009294:Narcotics; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; C033593:methionine-enkephalin receptor