Phase I, dose-finding study of capecitabine in combination with docetaxel and epirubicin as first-line chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer

PURPOSE

Capecitabine is an oral fluoropyrimidine with considerable activity and minimal myelosuppression and alopecia. This phase I study evaluated the addition of capecitabine to epirubicin/docetaxel combination therapy as first-line treatment for advanced breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-three female patients with advanced breast cancer received capecitabine (765-1060 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-14 of a 3-week treatment cycle) in combination with epirubicin and docetaxel (75 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1).

RESULTS

The maximum tolerated dose of capecitabine was 985 mg/m2 and the principal dose-limiting toxicity was febrile neutropenia. No grade 3/4 anemia or thrombocytopenia occurred. There were no grade 4 non-hematological events and grade 3 events other than alopecia were rare. Alopecia occurred in all patients and treatment cycles, and asthenia occurred in all patients and in 84% of treatment cycles. Other frequent adverse events included nausea, vomiting, fever, paresthesia and elevated transaminase levels. An objective response to treatment was observed in 91% (95% confidence interval 72% to 99%) of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of capecitabine to docetaxel/epirubicin combination therapy provides a well-tolerated and active first-line chemotherapy regimen in patients with advanced breast cancer, and merits phase II/III evaluation.

Influence of alternate sequences of epirubicin and docetaxel on the pharmacokinetic behaviour of both drugs in advanced breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Previously we observed a pharmacokinetic interference of epirubicin elimination when paclitaxel is given in combination in a sequence-dependent manner (i.e. when paclitaxel is administered as first drug). The aim of this study was to determine whether these sequence-dependent pharmacological effects were also evident when epirubicin was combined with docetaxel.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients who received epirubicin 75 mg/m2 or 90 mg/m2 as an intravenous bolus followed immediately by docetaxel 70 mg/m2 or 80 mg/m2 over a 1-h infusion, or the opposite sequence, every 3 weeks were eligible for this study. The pharmacokinetics of docetaxel, epirubicin and its metabolites were studied at the first and second cycle of treatment. Pharmacokinetic data were normalised to the lower dose of each drug. Toxicity was recorded at nadir and graded according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria.

RESULTS

Twelve consecutive patients, each acting as their own control, entered the study. The sequence of drug administration of docetaxel and epirubicin did not affect the pharmacokinetics of the parent anthracycline. Statistically significant lower glucuronidation metabolism of epirubicin was observed in patients who received docetaxel before epirubicin. The pharmacokinetics of docetaxel were not influenced by the sequence of drug administration. No difference in haematological and non-haematological toxicity was observed in the two sequences of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The pharmacokinetics of the parent anthracycline and of docetaxel were similar between the two schemes of treatment. The metabolic variations observed, i.e. differences in the plasma levels of epirubicin glucuronides, seem not to have clinical relevance.

Reduction of cisplatin nephrotoxicity by procainamide: does the formation of a cisplatin-procainamide complex play a role?

Procainamide protects mice bearing P388 leukemic cells against the toxicity of cisplatin without diminishing antitumor activity. The mechanism of action of procainamide protection was investigated both in vitro and in vivo. HPLC studies showed that procainamide forms a complex with cisplatin in vitro that has a UV spectrum similar to that of DPR, a triamine platinum complex that contains procaine as ligand. We report here the effect of the reaction product of cisplatin and procainamide on both cisplatin-induced DNA interstrand cross-links (ISCLs) and on the total DNA platination of isolated DNA. Total DNA platination in vitro of isolated DNA was increased by 113% (P <.01) and 17% (P <.05) after incubation times of 1.75 and 6 h, respectively, compared with products from the reaction of cisplatin with water. Furthermore, the reaction product of cisplatin and procainamide was bound to DNA to a significantly greater extent than was cisplatin itself. ISCLs were decreased by 41% when this drug combination was incubated with DNA for 1.75 h, but no changes were observed after incubation for 6 h. We also examined the influence of the time interval between administration of cisplatin and procainamide on normal kidney injury, the renal distribution and urinary excretion of platinum, and the formation of cisplatin-DNA adducts in renal tissue of Sprague-Dawley rats after i.p. administration of 7.5 mg/kg cisplatin either with or without procainamide. The plasma concentrations of urea and creatinine and kidney histology demonstrated that procainamide provided effective protection in vivo in the rat when administered either simultaneously or at 0.5 and 1 h before or after cisplatin. The protection was accompanied by both higher renal levels of platinum and cisplatin-DNA adducts and by an increase in the formation of ISCLs. Moreover, a dose-dependent reduction of urinary excretion and concentration of platinum was also observed. We propose that procainamide, after accumulation in the kidney, may coordinate with cisplatin to form a less toxic DPR-like complex that renders rats less susceptible to cisplatin-induced toxicity.

Sequence effect of epirubicin and paclitaxel treatment on pharmacokinetics and toxicity

PURPOSE

Sequence-dependent clinical and pharmacokinetic interactions between paclitaxel and doxorubicin have been reported. Some data have shown an influence of paclitaxel on epirubicin metabolism, but no data are available about the effect of diverse sequences of these drugs. We investigated whether reversing the sequence of epirubicin and paclitaxel affects the pattern or degree of toxicity and pharmacokinetics.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients receiving epirubicin 90 mg/m(2) by intravenous bolus followed by paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) over 3-hour infusion or the opposite sequence every 3 weeks for four cycles were eligible. Toxicity was recorded at nadir. Pharmacokinetic data were evaluated at the first and the second cycle and were correlated with toxicity parameters.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine consecutive stage II breast cancer patients were treated. Twenty-one patients received epirubicin followed by paclitaxel (ET group), and 18 received the opposite sequence (TE group). No significant difference in nonhematologic toxicity was seen. A lower neutrophil and platelet nadir and a statistically significant slower neutrophil recovery was observed in the TE group. Area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of epirubicin was higher in the TE group (2,346 ng/mL. h v 1,717 ng/mL. h; P =.002). An inverse linear correlation between epirubicin AUC and neutrophil recovery was also observed (P =.012). No difference was detected in paclitaxel pharmacokinetics.

CONCLUSION

Our results support a sequence-dependent effect of paclitaxel over epirubicin pharmacokinetics that is associated with increased myelotoxicity. Because schedule modifications of anthracyclines and paclitaxel can have clinical consequences, the classical way of administration (ie, anthracyclines followed by paclitaxel) should be maintained in clinical practice.

Comparative effects of paclitaxel and docetaxel on the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of epirubicin in breast cancer patients

PURPOSE

To investigate whether paclitaxel and docetaxel influence the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of epirubicin.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We studied the pharmacokinetics and biotransformation patterns of epirubicin in 27 cycles and 20 breast cancer patients. Four patients received epirubicin alone 90 mg/m(2) by intravenous (IV) bolus; eight patients received the same dose of epirubicin followed immediately by paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) in a 3-hour infusion; the other eight patients received epirubicin 90 mg/m(2) followed immediately by docetaxel 70 mg/m(2) in a 1-hour infusion. Epirubicin and its metabolites, epirubicinol (EOL) and 7-deoxydoxorubicinone (7d-Aone), were identified by high-pressure liquid chromatography.

RESULTS

No pharmacokinetic interaction between the parent compound epirubicin and taxanes was detected. Conversely, a significant effect on epirubicin metabolism by both paclitaxel and docetaxel was found. Epirubicin given with paclitaxel or docetaxel yielded areas under the plasma concentration-time curves (AUC) for 7d-Aone 1. 7-fold and 1.9-fold higher (P <.05), respectively, than epirubicin alone. The appearance of two polar metabolites sensitive to glucuronidase was also significantly greater in both taxane groups. Quantitatively different metabolic rates and patterns for EOL were observed in the paclitaxel and docetaxel combinations. The EOL AUC after paclitaxel treatment (1,521 +/- 150 ng/mL*h) was significantly higher (P <.01) than the corresponding values after epirubicin administered either as a single agent (692 +/- 46 ng/mL*h) or in combination with docetaxel (848 +/- 237 ng/mL*h).

CONCLUSION

There is no apparent pharmacokinetic interaction between the parent compound epirubicin and paclitaxel or docetaxel. A different pattern of interaction between these taxanes and epirubicin metabolism is clearly evident.

Carboplatin and cisplatin pharmacokinetics after intrapleural combination treatment in patients with malignant pleural effusion

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin (DDP) and carboplatin (CBDCA) are two of the most effective drugs in a locoregional approach. Since simultaneous combined treatment with intrapleural DDP and CBDCA has not been reported in humans, we investigated its use in patients with malignant effusions, focusing on pharmacokinetics.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The pharmacokinetics of DDP and CBDCA were studied in 10 patients with malignant pleural effusion treated intrapleurally with a combination of DDP (60 mg/m2) and CBDCA (270 mg/m2) and in additional patients who received the same doses of drugs administered intravenously as single agents or in combination. Platinum (Pt) species originating from DDP (metabolites plus unchanged DDP) and intact CBDCA in plasma and pleural fluid ultrafiltrates were measured by means of high performance liquid chromatography and atomic absorption spectrometry.

RESULTS

Both in the plasma and pleural fluid, the total levels of free Pt represented the additive result of the individual concentrations of CBDCA and Pt-species derived from DDP. After intrapleural combination, high pleural-plasma ratios of the peak concentrations and AUCs were observed both for CBDCA and DDP-derived Pt species, highlighting a distinct local pharmacological advantage. However, the Pt species originating from DDP were absorbed more rapidly from the pleural cavity than CBDCA (Ka = 86 x 10(-3) vs. 37 x 10(-3) min-1, P < 0.05). Intrapleural combination of CBDCA and DDP produced therapeutic plasma levels of reactive (free) DDP species and increased the extent of their residence time (MRT) compared with single intravenous DDP treatment [peak concentration: 1.1 +/- 0.1 (SD) vs. 1.6 +/- 0.2 microgram/ml; MRT: 5.2 +/- 1.9 vs. 0.5 +/- 0.06 h]. Furthermore, the plasma AUC of free CBDCA after intrapleural combined treatment (2.1 +/- 0.5 mg/ ml x min) was similar to that after intravenous administration of CBDCA alone (2.1 +/- 0.2 mg/ml x min). The intrapleural treatment was well tolerated by all patients. Toxicity consisted of mild nausea and vomiting (grade 1-2 according to the WHO scale) in four patients. Myelosuppression (grade 1-2) was remarkable only in two heavily pretreated patients. No evidence of recurrence of the pleural effusion was observed in six patients (complete response), while an asymptomatic minimal fluid reaccumulation not requiring drainage (partial response) was observed in four patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The pharmacologic results seem to exclude a pharmacokinetic interaction between CBDCA and DDP and suggest that a dose of CBDCA 2-fold higher than that used in this study associated intrapleurally with 60 mg/m2 DDP could induce an acceptable and predictable myelosuppression.