ADRIAMYCIN GIVEN AS A WEEKLY SCHEDULE WITHOUT A LOADING COURSE - CLINICALLY EFFECTIVE WITH REDUCED INCIDENCE OF CARDIOTOXICITY

Abstract

Patients (336) with a variety of tumors were treated with adriamycin given weekly as an i.v. bolus of 1 mg/kg with subsequent doses adjusted for hematologic toxicity. This weekly schedule, not utilizing a loading course, resulted in only a 20% incidence of stomatitis. The number of evaluable patients and the percent with objective responses, respectively, according to tumor type were as follows: lung (57 patients, 14%); sarcoma (62, 24%); breast (31, 35%); transitional cell carcinoma (17, 19%); non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma (17, 29%); head and neck (16, 13%); colorectal (13, 0); ovarian (eight, 25%); and other (53, 13%). These response frequencies are comparable to those reported for every-3-wk regimens using 60-75 mg/m2 of adriamycin. Sixteen patients were given 450-550 mg/m2 of adriamycin, 5 were given 550-600 mg/m2 and 10 were given > 600 mg/m2. None of the study patients developed definite evidence of drug-induced congestive heart failure. Adriamycin given as a weekly schedule provides a clinically effective alternative to the every-3-wk schedule of administration. The weekly schedule is associated with tolerable toxicity and a decreased risk of developing drug-induced congestive heart failure.