A phase II study of pirarubicin in malignant pleural mesothelioma

Abstract

Thirty-five non-pretreated patients (29 male, six female) with malignant pleural mesothelioma, median age of 68.5 years (range, 29 to 78 years) and a median performance status of 80% (range, 60% to 100%) were treated with 70 mg/m2 Pirarubicin. The treatment was repeated every 3 to 4 weeks (median duration per cycle, 23 days) up to progression or severe toxicity. The median cumulative dose given was 294 mg/m2, or 4.5 cycles. All patients were evaluable regarding response. Three partial remissions were achieved, leading to a remission rate of 8.6%. The median duration of remission was 6 months. Five patients achieved minor response, and a further 14 patients were stable under treatment with Pirarubicin. The median survival time was 10.5 months. Leukocytopenia was the main dose-limiting factor and 20% of the patients experienced World Health Organization (WHO) Grades III and IV. Anemia and thrombocytopenia were mild. Nausea and vomiting, WHO Grades I and II, were observed in 46% of all patients. Alopecia, Grades I and II, was seen in 47% and Grade III in 6%. No signs of cardiac dysfunction were detectable, except for cardiac arrhythmia in four patients (11%). Pirarubicin is an active drug in the treatment of pleural mesothelioma with fewer severe side effects than doxorubicin.

Prevention of chemotherapy‐induced vomiting in children receiving multiple‐day cisplatin chemotherapy: A hospital‐based, retrospective cohort study

“…Patients with rhabdomyosarcoma received etoposide (day 1 through 5), cyclophosphamide (day 2), and pirarubicin (day 3) in addition to cisplatin. Pirarubicin was considered as a moderately emetogenic agent based on the previous report . The number of chemotherapy cycles reviewed was 107 with a median of 5 (range 1–5).…”

Cisplatin and Gemcitabine in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Phase II Study

“…1 The reported overall response rates of single-agent chemotherapy ranged from 6% to 26%. In particular, for anthracycline compounds, the most active drugs were detorubicin 10 pirarubicin, 11 and mitomycin, 12 with 26%, 22%, and 21% overall response rates, respectively. As for platinum analogs, response rates of 14% and 11% have been observed for cisplatin 13 and carboplatin, 14 respectively.…”

Chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma: past results and recent developments

“…Studies have failed to corroborate evidence, however, for encouraging response rates to doxorubicin of up to 20% that had been reported in earlier studies (Aisner and Wiernik, 1981;Antman and Corson, 1985). Likewise, newer anthracyclines such as epirubicin, detorubicin, pirarubicin and mitoxantrone have shown low levels of efficacy and have offered no clinically relevant advantage over doxorubicin (Colbert et al, 1985;Eisenhauer et al, 1986;Sridhar et al, 1989;Kaukel et al, 1990;Magri et al, 1991;van Breukelen et al, 1991;Mattson et al, 1992;Magri et al, 1992). In summary, the overall response rate produced by anthracyclines applied in MPM appears to be no higher than 15% and median survival does not exceed 8 months.…”