Dose escalation study of irinotecan combined with carboplatin for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Phase II study of weekly carboplatin and irinotecan as first-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

Platinum-based doublet chemotherapy has a major role in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The weekly fractionated administration of cisplatin for patients with NSCLC has been shown to be active. Irinotecan and carboplatin are effective against NSCLC and demonstrated synergism with non-cross-resistance in preclinical studies. We conducted a phase II study of weekly combination of carboplatin and irinotecan as first-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced NSCLC.

METHODS

From March 2009 to November 2011, 24 patients who were diagnosed with inoperable or metastatic NSCLC were enrolled. Treatment consisted of carboplatin at an AUC 2.5 mg/mL/min over 30-min intravenous infusion and irinotecan 65 mg/m(2) over 90-min intravenous infusion on day 1 and day 8, respectively. The treatment was repeated every 3 weeks.

RESULTS

One patient (4.2 %) achieved complete response, and seven (29.2 %) showed partial response. Overall response rate was 33.3 %, with median response duration of 4.55 months. Nine patients had stable disease, and disease control rate was 70.8 %. With median follow-up of 12.8 months, median progression-free survival was 4.5 months (95 % CI 1.8-7.2), and median overall survival was 15.5 months (95 % CI 6.9-24.1). Major toxicity was myelosuppression. Grade 3-4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 50 and 20.8 % of patients, respectively. Two patients experienced febrile neutropenia. Non-hematologic toxicities were generally mild. One patient suffered grade 4 diarrhea, and one treatment-related death due to pneumonia was occurred.

CONCLUSION

The weekly combination of carboplatin and irinotecan showed favorable activity and manageable toxicity profiles in chemo-naïve patients with advanced NSCLC. Our results suggest that this regimen can be a reasonable chemotherapeutic option for patients with advanced NSCLC.

A phase I study and pharmacologic evaluation of irinotecan and carboplatin for patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma who previously received platinum-containing chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

The objectives of the current study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of irinotecan and carboplatin in combination, to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the combination in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma who previously received platinum-containing chemotherapy, and to examine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of both drugs by using the Chatelut formula.

METHODS

Patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma who previously received platinum-containing chemotherapy were treated with a combination of irinotecan and carboplatin. Carboplatin was administered as a 60-minute intravenous infusion on Day 1 and was followed by irinotecan, which was administered as a 90-minute intravenous infusion on Days 1, 8, and 15. Six dose levels of irinotecan (in mg/m(2))/carboplatin (mg . mL/min) were planned: 50 mg/m(2)/4 mg . mL/minute, 60 mg/m(2)/4 mg . mL/minute, 50 mg/m(2)/5 mg . mL/minute, 60 mg/m(2)/5 mg . mL/minute, 50 mg/m(2)/6 mg . mL/minute, and 60 mg/m(2)/6 mg . mL/minute. The carboplatin dosage was calculated by using the Chatelut formula. Treatment was repeated at 28-day intervals.

RESULTS

In total, 19 patients in cohorts of 3 to 5 patients received irinotecan and carboplatin at 5 dose levels. The dose-limiting toxicities were Grade 4 neutropenia and Grade 4 thrombocytopenia. The MTD of the irinotecan/carboplatin combination was 60 mg/m(2)/5 . mg mL/minute. Partial responses were observed at higher dose levels. Pharmacologic studies demonstrated that administration of the dosage estimated with the Chatelut formula instead of the Chatelut formula with adjustment for serum creatinine resulted in a slightly excessive dose of carboplatin.

CONCLUSIONS

The recommended dose for the Phase II study was irinotecan 60 mg/m(2) on Days 1, 8, and 15 with carboplatin 5 mg/mL . minute on Day 1 repeated every 4 weeks.

Phase II study of irinotecan and carboplatin for advanced non-small cell lung cancer

A phase II study was conducted to assess the activity and toxicity of irinotecan (CPT-11) and carboplatin (CBDCA) combination chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Eligibility included chemo-naive advanced NSCLC patients with measurable disease and a good performance status. CPT-11 of 50 mg/m(2) was administered as a 90-min intravenous infusion on days 1, 8, and 15. CBDCA dosed to an area under the concentration-time curve of 5 mgmin/ml, using Calvert's formula, was administered by 90-min infusion after the CPT-11 infusion on day 1. Treatment was repeated 28 days interval for at least two cycles. Haematopoietic growth factors were not routinely used. From December 1997 to January 1999, 36 patients were entered into the study. The overall response rate was 25.0% (95% confidence interval: 12.1-42.2%). The median survival time and the 1-year survival rate were 10.2 months and 42.2%, respectively. Major toxicity by Japan Clinical Oncology Group criteria was as follows: grade 3-4 neutropenia 76.5%; grade 3 anemia 26.5%; grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia 47.1%; grade 3 nausea/vomiting 36.1%; grade 3-4 diarrhoea 5.9%; grade 3 alopecia 5.9%; grade 3-4 skin rush 2.9%. Four patients developed febrile neutropenia and only one had serious diarrhea induced by CPT-11. Actual relative delivery dose of CPT-11 to the projected one on days 8 and 15 were 0.86 and 0.43, respectively. It seemed that CPT-11 and CBDCA was more toxic regimen than CPT-11 and CDDP in advanced NSCLC. The relatively disappointing response rate could be related with low dose intensity of CPT-11.

Irinotecan in patients with relapsed or cisplatin-refractory germ cell cancer: a phase II study of the German Testicular Cancer Study Group

Despite generally high cure rates in patients with metastatic germ cell cancer, patients with progressive disease on first-line cisplatin-based chemotherapy or with relapsed disease following high-dose salvage therapy exhibit a very poor prognosis. Irinotecan has shown antitumour activity in human testicular tumour xenografts in nude mice. We have performed a phase II study examining the single agent activity of irinotecan in patients with metastatic relapsed or cisplatin-refractory germ cell cancer. Refractory disease was defined as progression or relapse within 4 weeks after cisplatin-based chemotherapy or relapse after salvage high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support. Irinotecan was administered at a dose of 300 (-350) mg m(-2) every 3 weeks. Response was evaluated every 4 weeks. Fifteen patients have been enrolled. Median age was 35 (19-53) years. Primary tumour localisation was gonadal/mediastinal in 12/3 patients. Patients had been pretreated with a median of six (4-12) cisplatin-containing cycles and 13 out of 15 patients had previously failed high-dose chemotherapy with blood stem cell support. Median number of irinotecan applications was two (1-3). Fourteen patients are assessable for response and all for toxicity. In one patient, no adequate response evaluation was performed. Toxicity was generally acceptable and consisted mainly of haematological side effects with common toxicity criteria 3 degrees anaemia (two patients), common toxicity criteria 3 degrees leukocytopenia (one patient) and common toxicity criteria 3 degrees thrombocytopenia (three patients). Common toxicity criteria 3/4 degrees non-haematological toxicity occurred in five patients (33%): 1 x diarrhoea, 2 x alopecia, 1 x fever and in one patient worsening of pre-existing peripheral polyneuropathy from 1 degrees to 4 degrees. No response was observed to irinotecan therapy. Currently, 13 patients have died of the disease and two patients are alive with the disease. The patients included in our study exhibit similar prognostic characteristics as patients treated in previous trials evaluating new drugs in this setting. Irinotecan at a dose of 300-350 mg m(-2) every 3 weeks appears to have no antitumour activity in patients with cisplatin-refractory germ cell cancer and, thus, further investigation in this disease is not justified.