Phase II studies of 4'-iodo-4'-deoxydoxorubicin in advanced non-small cell lung, colon and breast cancers.

The new anthracycline analogue, 4'-iodo-4'-deoxydoxorubicin (I-DOX), was administered at 70 mg/m2 as first chemotherapy in 61 patients with advanced NSCL (19), colon (20) and breast cancers (22). Treatment was repeated every 3 weeks; the dose was decreased to 60 mg/m2 (19% of the cycles) or increased to 80 mg/m2 (17% of the cycles) according to the granulocyte count nadir. Partial responses were observed in 6% of the patients with NSCL, in 5.5% of those with colon and in 10% of those with breast cancers. The main toxicity was a selective granulocytopenia characterized by a duration of about 1 week, and a high inter-patient variability. Non-haematological toxicities were mild. The negative results obtained in breast cancer might be related to the dose administered. Further studies in this tumour type should be performed with a more aggressive schedule.