aclarubicin and Alopecia

Topics: Aclarubicin; Adenocarcinoma; Adult; Aged; Alopecia; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Breast Neoplasms; Drug Evaluation; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Naphthacenes; Nausea; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neutropenia

The involvement of plasma testosterone in patients associated with scalp hair loss accelerated by anticancer drugs including aclarubicin and cisplatin was investigated. Scalp hair loss observed was minor in 12 and severe in 2 out of 31 patients. In patients without significant hair loss, the combination of aclarubicin and cisplatin produced a significant decrease in the plasma testosterone concentration in male patients and a significant increase in female patients 3 days after the anticancer chemotherapy. Six days after the chemotherapy, however, these concentrations returned to pretreatment values. Similar changes were observed in patients with minor or severe scalp hair loss induced by these drugs. These results suggest that aclarubicin and/or cisplatin may accelerate scalp hair loss with no androgenic involvement.

Topics: Aclarubicin; Alopecia; Androgens; Antineoplastic Agents; Cisplatin; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Testosterone

Nineteen patients with refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated with a combination of N4-behenoyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (150-200 mg/m2), aclacinomycin (15 mg/m2), etoposide (70 mg/m2 i.v. or 100 mg/m2 p.o) and prednisolone (20 mg/m2) (ABEP regimen). Patients who achieved complete remission (CR) received 10 courses of consolidation therapy with ACOP-E chemotherapy (adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone and etoposide). Seven patients achieved CR and three partial remission. Twelve patients with fresh non-Hodgkin's lymphoma stage IV were treated with ABEP regimen. CR was obtained in eight patients (66.7%). The median duration of CR was 11+ alpha months. Hematological toxicity was a dose-limiting factor but this was manageable.

Topics: Aclarubicin; Adult; Aged; Alopecia; Anorexia; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Cyclophosphamide; Cytarabine; Doxorubicin; Drug Administration Schedule; Etoposide; Female; Humans; Leukopenia; Lymphoma; Male; Middle Aged; Naphthacenes; Prednisolone; Thrombocytopenia; Vincristine

Aclacinomycin A (ACM) is an anthracycline antibiotic recently introduced into clinical trials because of its reduced cardiac toxicity in animal models relative to Adriamycin and daunomycin. This Phase I study of ACM was conducted to determine a dose suitable for i.v. administration on an every-3-week schedule. Twenty-five adult patients with solid tumors were treated with doses of ACM ranging from 60 to 120 mg/sq m i.v. every 3 to 4 weeks. Myelosuppression was the dose-limiting toxicity, but the degree and timing of blood count depression were variable at each dose level. Nausea and vomiting were seen at myelosuppressive doses, but mucositis was rare. Alopecia was seen in approximately one-third of the patients. There was no acute cardiac toxicity, but cumulative cardiac injury could not be evaluated in this trial. There were no major objective responses in three patients who had measurable disease. The recommended doses of ACM for Phase II studies are 100 mg/sq for good-risk patients and 80 mg/sq m for patients who are heavily pretreated or who have a poor performance status.

Topics: Aclarubicin; Adult; Aged; Alopecia; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Evaluation; Female; Hematopoiesis; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Naphthacenes; Nausea; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms