title: Salvage chemotherapy with a combination of irinotecan hydrochloride and mitomycin C in elderly Japanese patients with gynecological malignancies: a pilot study.
abstract: The efficacy and toxicity of salvage chemotherapy with a combination of irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) and mitomycin C (MMC) in elderly Japanese patients with gynecological malignancies are reported. Six patients, aged 75 years or older, two with stage IV uterine cervical cancer and four with platinum- and taxane-resistant ovarian cancer, were treated. CPT-11 (120 mg/m(2)) was administered intravenously for 4 h with 500 ml of normal saline solution, followed by 3.5 mg/m(2) of MMC with 100 ml of normal saline, administered for 60 min, on days 1 and 15 and every 5 weeks thereafter. Six patients received a total of 24 courses of treatment, which provided an opportunity to explore, in a preliminary manner, the efficacy and toxicity of this approach. All patients demonstrated reasonable tolerance to this management strategy. There were no deaths attributable to toxicity. In a carefully selected patient population, CPT-11 and MMC chemotherapy could be administered to elderly Japanese patients with gynecological malignancies. Phase I and II studies are needed to confirm the feasibility of this treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mie Prefectural Shima Hospital, 1257 Ugata, Ago, Shima, Mie 517-0595, Japan. h-tanaka@shimahp.pref.mie.jp
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kihira
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishihara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D007564:Japan; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D016685:Mitomycin; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002166:Camptothecin