Phase II study of esorubicin (4′ -deoxydoxorubicin) in locally advanced or metastatic head and neck carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Sergio Frustaci; Giampietro Gasparini; Andrea Veronesi; Umberto Tirelli; Maria Adele Pacciarini; Diana Crivellari; Vittorina Zagonel; Silvio Monfardini

• Publisher: Springer US
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 232 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0167-6997
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00175303

✦ Synopsis

Sixteen patients with locally advanced or metastatic head and neck cancer were treated with esorubicin (4'-deoxydoxorubicin) at a dose of 30-35 mg/m 2 i.v. every 3 weeks. One patient was lost to the follow up after one cycle, whereas in the 15 evaluable cases a total of 34 courses were administered (median per patient: 2, range: 1-6). Pretreatment for parameter lesions consisted of radiotherapy in 5, chemotherapy in 3 and both treatments in 1 patients respectively. Overall, one partial response, one stable disease and 13 progressions were documented. Severe (grade 3 and 4) leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia were noted in 3, 1 and 1 patients respectively. The only patient developing leukopenia and thrombocytopenia of grade 4 subsequently died because of pneumonia. On the other hand, non-hematologic toxicity was generally mild. At this dose and schedule, esorubicin demonstrated an activity less than 20% in head and neck Cancer and therefore, no further evaluation is warranted.