Restorative effect of romurtide for thrombocytopenia associated with intensive anticancer drug treatment and/or irradiation in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

In 55 gastrointestinal cancer patients the mean change ratios for platelets were, respectively, 1.22 +/- 0.75 and 0.67 +/- 0.45, in the romurtide administration (30 cases) and non-administration (25 cases) groups, [statistically significant difference (p < 0.005)]. The number of cases in each group with a decrease in platelet count was 13 (43%) and 20 (80%) with and without romurtide, respectively. The difference was statistically significant, (p < 0.01). In addition, the number of cases with a marked decrease ( < 6 x 10(4)/mm3) in platelet count was 2 (7%) and 7 (28%) with and without romurtide, respectively, reaching statistical significance (p < 0.05). For patients treated with a bolus administration of 450 mg/m2 carboplatin (27 cases), the mean change ratios for leukocytes and platelets in the romurtide administration group (13 cases) were 1.10 +/- 0.52 and 1.23 +/- 0.59, respectively. Meanwhile, in the romurtide non-administration group the mean change ratios for leukocytes and platelets were, respectively, 0.74 +/- 0.27 and 0.74 +/- 0.42, a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.05) compared with the romurtide administration group. The number of cases with an increase in the number of lymphocytes after i.v. administration was significantly more than that observed after s.c. administration (p < 0.01). These results indicate that romurtide has a restorative effect on thrombocytopenia similar to that displayed for leukocytopenia when given as concomitant therapy with anticancer drugs and/or irradiation in patients undergoing intensive treatment for gastrointestinal cancer.