PHASE-I DOSE-ESCALATION OF PACLITAXEL IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED OVARIAN-CANCER RECEIVING CISPLATIN - RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF NEUROTOXICITY IS DOSE-LIMITING
An. Gordon et al., PHASE-I DOSE-ESCALATION OF PACLITAXEL IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED OVARIAN-CANCER RECEIVING CISPLATIN - RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF NEUROTOXICITY IS DOSE-LIMITING, Journal of clinical oncology, 15(5), 1997, pp. 1965-1973
Purpose: To determine the maximum-tolerable dose (MTD) of paclitaxel i
n a phase I dose-escalation study when combined with cisplatin in pati
ents with advanced ovarian cancer receiving filgrastim for prophylaxis
of myelosupression. Patients and Methods: A total of 23 patients with
stage II (bulky residual), III, or IV epithelial ovarian cancer were
treated (following debulking surgery) with paclitaxel as a 3-hour infu
sion followed by cisplatin (75 mg/m(2)) administered over 4 hours on d
ay 1, repeated every 21 days for six cycles. Filgrastim (5 mu g/kg/d)
was administered subcutaneously (SC) beginning on day 2 of each cycle
through neutrophil recovery (absolute neutrophil count [ANC] > 10,000/
mu L). Patients were assigned to one of six escalating dose levels of
paclitaxel: 150 (n = 3), 175 (n = 3), 200 (n = 3), 225 (n = 4), 250 (n
= 4), and 275 mg/m(2) (n = 6). Results: At each paclitaxel dose level
(150, 175, 200, 225, 250, and 275 mg/m(2)), the numbers of patients w
ho completed six cycles without dose reduction were three (100%), thre
e (100%), two (66%), two (50%), three (75%), and zero (0%), respective
ly. The numbers of patients who experienced a grade III/IV adverse eve
nt (hematologic or nonhematologic) were zero (0%), two (66%), two (66%
), one (25%), four (100%), and five (80%), respectively. Reasons for d
ose reduction included neurotoxicity (225 mg/m(2), n = 1; 275 mg/m(2),
n = 2), neutropenia (225 mg/m(2), n = 2), diarrhea (275 mg/m(2), n =
2), and nephrotoxicity (225 mg/m(2), n = 1). Reasons for not completin
g six cycles at full or reduced dose included neuropathy (200, 225, an
d 275 mg/m(2), n = 1 each), physician request (275 mg/m(2), n = 1), an
d death (275 mg/m(2), n = 1). Hematopoietic toxicity was minimal. Six
patients developed grade III/IV neutropenia. No patient developed thro
mbocytopenia below a level of 50,000/mu L. Conclusion: The MTD of pacl
itaxel was determined to be 225 mg/m(2) when administered as a 3-hour
infusion and combined with cisplatin (75 mg/m(2)). Nonhematologic dose
-limiting toxicities were neuropathy and diarrhea. The neuropathy ofte
n had a rapid onset, especially at the higher dose levels. (C) 1997 by
American Society of Clinical Oncology.