Bulletin du cancer
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Irinotecan (CPT11), a topoisomerase I inhibitor, is a new cytotoxic agent with a broad spectrum of clinical activity. Two main schedules have been studied and produce similar activity and side-effects: the "european" one--350 mg/m2 every 21 days-, and the "japanese-north american" one where CPT11 is given at a weekly dose of 100-120 mg/m2 for 4 consecutive weeks followed by a 2 week rest period. Activity was initially characterized in advanced colorectal cancers; response rates, disease free-survival and overall survival were 11%, 7-10 months and 8-11 months in patients failing fluoropyrimidine based chemotherapy--statistically improved as compared to best supportive care and infusional fluorouracil-, and 20-30% in patients not previously treated. ⋯ Irinotecan can be combined to fluoropyrimidines, raltitrexed, cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin, to gemcitabine, etoposide, vinorelbine and taxanes with flexible schedules (weekly, every 2 weeks, every 21 days. Most of these combinations have an additive or supra additive activity. Its mechanism of action, the spectrum of activity and the acceptable risk-benefit ratio point to irinorecan as a major advance in the field of cytotoxic anticancer therapy.
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Review
[Irinotecan: various administration schedules, study of drug combinations, phase I experience].
Irinotecan (CPT11) is a synthetic camptothecin-derived DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor. Based on phase I clinical trials, several schedules have been recommended for phase I studies including 350 mg/m2 every 3 weeks in Europe, 125 mg/m2 for 4 weeks every 6 weeks in the USA, and 100 mg/m2 weekly or delayed until recovery in case of grade > 2 toxicity in Japan. The principal dose-limiting toxicities in those schedules are neutropenia and delayed diarrhea. ⋯ Those variations may be related to modifications in the hepatic metabolism of the drug that may occur in patients with hepatic dysfunction and/or in patients with concomitant medications. The understanding of the individual metabolism of the drug would help to determine individual dose adaptation. Based on synergistic preclinical interaction with several drugs, combinations of irinotecan with other cytotoxic drugs such as thymidylate synthethase inhibitors and platinum salts are currently investigated in phase I-II studies.
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As a single agent, irinotecan has demonstrated efficacy in metastatic 5FU resistant colorectal metastatic cancer. Chemotherapy with fluorouracil (5FU) plus leucovorin remains a standard in the treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. It seemed logical to test the combination of this reference treatment and the new agent. ⋯ The combinations of irinotecan and mitomycin C or oxaliplatin have given very good results with high objective response rates and good tolerance. Irinotecan plays now an important part in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. This part becomes larger due to the results of the combination trials already presented which have shown strong efficacy and good tolerance.
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Irinotecan or CPT11 is a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor. The European and American regimens of irinotecan in monotherapy are different: respectively 350 mg/m2 i.v. every 3 weeks and 125 mg/m2 i.v. weekly (4 weeks out of 6). In a large phase 2 programme an important activity has been shown in metastatic colorectal cancer. ⋯ This interesting activity was the basis for the phase 3 studies that have positioned irinotecan as the standard treatment in 5FU resistant colorectal cancer. The response rate in first line treatment of colorectal cancer varies between 18% and 32%. The main side effects are neutropenia and delayed diarrhea.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
[Granisetron (per os) compared with ondansetron (per os) in the prevention of nausea and vomiting induced by mildly emetogenic chemotherapies. Groupe de Recherches en Cancerologie du Nord].
It is a randomised cross-over multicenter study comparing the efficacy and the tolerance of granisetron (Gra) 1 mg and ondansetron (Ond) 8 mg, oral, given during two consecutive cycles to 188 naive patients scheduled to receive a moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. The antiemetic treatment is given one day per course, 1 hour before chemotherapy and the second administration from 8 to 12 hours after the beginning, during each of the two cycles; alternatively according to the randomisation. Five criteria are assessed; nausea (ordinal and visual analogic scales), emeric episodes (vomiting orland retching), complete response (minor or no nausea, no emetic episode and no rescue treatment), patient preference and tolerance. ⋯ There is no significant patients preference in favour of Gra or Ond. In conclusion, Gra was more efficient in preventing nausea and obtaining complete response on the first day of treatment, significantly at the second cycle. Both Gra and Ond had a good antiemetic activity for moderately emetogenic chemotherapy with complete response rates always over 50% on day 1; delayed emesis remain less weli controlled.