Berruti Alfredo, Mosca Alessandra, Bitossi Raffaella, Gorzegno Gabriella, Guercio Stefano, Poggio Massimiliano, Tampellini Marco, Porpiglia Francesco, Ostellino Oliviero, Scarpa Roberto Mario, Dogliotti Luigi
Gruppo Onco-Urologico Piemontese, Oncologia Medica, Departimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, Università di Torino, Azienda Ospedaliera San Luigi, Orbassano, Italy.
Anticancer Res. 2005 Nov-Dec;25(6C):4475-9.
Epirubicin (EPX) has been found to be active in hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) patients. Prolonged EPX infusion has never been investigated in this patient subset.
A feasibility study was conducted in which EPX was administered in 21-day continuous infusion to 15 patients with HRPC. The EPX dose was 5 mg/m2 daily for 21 consecutive days (one course). One week was allowed before starting the next course.
The patients received 1 to 6 courses (median 3). As a whole, the treatment was well tolerated. Nine patients did not develop any toxicity, while WHO grade 3 and 4 toxicities were recorded in 4 patients. Alopecia (WHO grade 1-2) was presented in 4 cases. Five patients attained >50% decrease in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
Prolonged EPX infusion is feasible and potentially active in the treatment of HRPC patients. Our data suggest caution in administering this treatment in patients bearing rheumatologic disease.
