PROTECTION AGAINST CHEMOTHERAPY TOXICITY BY IV HYPERALIMENTATION

Abstract

A randomized trial was conducted comparing the addition of i.v. hyperalimentation (IVH) to Corynebacterium parvum [Propionibacterium acnes], isophosphamide and adriamycin (CIA) chemoimmunotherapy in patients [26] with extensive squamous cell lung cancer. Patients (13) were entered in each treatment arm of the study and IVH was administered before and after the 1st course of CIA for a total of 31 days. The major dose-limiting toxic effect of CIA was leukopenia. Less myelosuppression was observed for the patients receiving IVH. The difference in the lowest recorded leukocyte and neutrophil counts between the 2 groups was significant (P = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively). A significant decrease (P = 0.06) in nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy administration was found for the IVH group. The differences in toxic effects between each group were not maintained over subsequent courses of therapy when both groups received CIA alone. The prevention of the toxic effects of chemotherapy by IVH suggests a means of giving higher chemotherapy doses with the intent of increasing tumor response and patient survival.