Clinical Trials with Adriamycin by Prolonged Arterial Infusion

Abstract

Adriamycin, a new antitumor antibiotic of the anthracycline group, was given by arterial infusion to 20 patients with different types of advanced cancer. Two doses and schedules were used: 0.3 mg/kg daily for 10 consecutive days and 0.4 mg/kg on alternate days for 20 days. The drug was used for inducing the first remission. In responsive cases maintenance treatment was given with methotrexate. 15 patients were adequately evaluable. 12 patients adequately treated showed objective improvement and 5/15 regression > 50%. Head and neck cancer and undifferentiated reticulosarcoma of the liver were the diseases most sensitive to adriamycin by arterial infusion. Melanoma, metastatic liver cancer and pelvic cancer showed little improvement. Of 20 patients receiving adriamycin, 15 (75%) had one or more side effects: 12 had stomatitis with oral ulcerations, 17 varying degrees of bone marrow depression, 10 alopecia, 5 hyperthermia. Complications are observed in 11 patients. Adriamycin at 0.3 mg/kg daily by prolonged arterial infusion appears to be a potent growth-inhibiting compound useful for inducing the first remission only in head and neck cancer.