MULTICENTER PHASE-II STUDY OF BREQUINAR SODIUM IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED GASTROINTESTINAL CANCER

Eighty-six patients with advanced colorectal, gastric or pancreatic ca rcinoma and no prior exposure to chemotherapy were treated with brequi nar sodium. Brequinar was administered at a median weekly dose of 1200 mg/m2 intravenously. The toxicity was moderate, with thirty patients (35%) experiencing grade 3 or 4 toxicity. Objective responses were obs erved in 1/32 evaluable colorectal and 2/29 evaluable gastric carcinom a patients. There were no objective responses in 17 evaluable pancreat ic cancer patients. We conclude that, at this dose and schedule, brequ inar does not have sufficient activity in these gastrointestinal malig nancies to warrant further evaluation.