Phase II study of intravenous 6-thioguanine in patients with advanced carcinoma of the pancreas

✍ Scribed by Jaffer A. Ajani; Richard Pazdur; Rodger J. Winn; James L. Abbruzzese; Bernard Levin; Robert Belt; James Young; Yehuda Z. Patt; Irwin H. Krakoff

• Publisher: Springer US
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 213 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0167-6997
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00183584

✦ Synopsis

In a phase II study, 32 patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma were treated with intravenous 6-thioguanine. A 30-min infusion of 55 mg/m ~ (starting dose) was administered once a day for 5 consecutive days, the course being repeated every 5 weeks. A median of two courses (range, 1-10) was administered. Among the 32 patients, 30 having measurable cancer and optimum follow-up were fully assessable for response. One patient achieved a partial response of extensive liver metastases (12 + months), and another patient had a transient minor response (5 weeks). Cancer in 27 of 30 assessable patients progressed during intravenous 6-thioguanine treatment. Myelosuppression, although frequent, was mild to moderate at these doses and did not result in significant morbidity. Nonhematologic toxicities were also mild. Our data suggest that intravenous 6-thioguanine given at this schedule is ineffective in previously untreated patients with advanced carcinoma of the pancreas.