Phase II study of S-1, a novel oral fluorouracil, in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel oral anticancer fluoropyrimidine derivative, S-1, in patients receiving initial chemotherapy for unresectable, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Between June 1996 and July 1998, 62 patients with NSCLC who had not received previous chemotherapy for advanced disease were enrolled in this study. 59 patients (22 stage IIIB and 37 stage IV) were eligible for the evaluation of efficacy and safety. S-1 was administered orally, twice daily, after meals. 3 dosages of S-1 were prescribed according to body surface area (BSA) so that they would be approximately equivalent to 80 mg m−2day−1: BSA < 1.25 m2, 40 mg b.i.d.; BSA≥1.25 but <1.5 m2; 50 mg b.i.d., and BSA≥1.5 m2: 60 mg b.i.d. One cycle consisted of consecutive administration of S-1 for 28 days followed by a 2-week rest period, and cycles were repeated up to 4 times. The partial response (PR) rate of the eligible patients was 22.0% (13/59); (95% confidence interval: 12.3–34.7%). A PR was observed in 22.7% (5/22) of the stage IIIB patients and 21.6% (8/37) of the stage IV patients. The median response duration was 3.4 months (1.1–13.7 months or longer). Grade 4 neutropenia was observed in one of the 59 patients (1.7%). The grade 3 or 4 toxicities consisted of decreased haemoglobin level in 1.7% of patients (1/59), neutropenia in 6.8% (4/59), thrombocytopenia in 1.7% (1/59), anorexia in 10.2% (6/59), diarrhoea in 8.5% (5/59), stomatitis in 1.7% (1/59), and malaise in 6.8% (4/59), and their incidences were relatively low. There were no irreversible, severe or unexpected toxicities. The median survival time (MST) of all patients was 10.2 months (95% confidence interval: 7.7–14.5 months), and the one-year survival rate was 41.1%. The MST of the stage IIIB patients was 7.9 months, and that of the stage IV patients was 11.1 months. The one-year survival rates of the stage IIIB and IV patients were 30.7% and 47.4%, respectively. S-1 was considered to be an active single agent against NSCLC. Further study of S-1 with other active agents is warranted. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaignhttp://www.bjcancer.co

‘A phase II study of oral uracil/ftorafur (UFT®) plus leucovorin combined with oxaliplatin (TEGAFOX) as first-line treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer'

This phase II trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a new combination of Uracil/Ftorafur (UFT®)/leucovorin (LV) and oxaliplatin in patients (pts) with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) who had not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Between February 2002 and October 2002, 64 patients received UFT® 300 mg m−2 day−1 and LV 90 mg day−1 from day 1 to day 14 combined with oxaliplatin 130 mg m−2 on day 1, every 3 weeks. All patients were evaluable for safety analysis and 58 of 64 patients were eligible for efficacy. Responses were reviewed by an independent review committee. Of the 58 per-protocol defined assessable patients, 1 complete response and 20 partial responses were observed yielding a response rate of 34% (95% CI: 22–47). The median response duration was 8.74 months (range 1.6–14). The median time to progression and the median survival were 5.88 months (95% CI: 4.34–8.21) and 18.2 months (95% CI: 10–20.7), respectively. Diarrhoea and peripheral neuropathy were the most frequent and predictable toxicities. These events were reversible, noncumulative and manageable. Grade 3 diarrhoea occurred in only 11% of the patients. No grade 4 gastrointestinal toxicity was reported in the study. The incidence of grade 3/4 (National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria 2: NCI-CTC 2) peripheral neuropathy was 15%. Haematological toxicity was of mild to moderate intensity with 10% of the patients with Grade 3/4 neutropenia without any episode of complication. The TEGAFOX regimen, a new combination using UFT®/LV and oxaliplatin every 3 weeks is feasible on an outpatient basis. The combination is safe and active and may offer a promising alternative to the intravenous route. Nevertheless this efficacy results should be confirmed by randomized phase III trials

Role of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor/thymidine phosphorylase in fluoropyrimidine sensitivity

Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF)/thymidine phosphorylase (TP) catalyses the reversible phosphorolysis of thymidine to thymine and 2-deoxyribose-1-phosphate and is involved in the metabolism of fluoropyrimidines. It can also activate 5'-deoxyfluorouridine (5'DFUR) and possibly 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and Ftorafur (Ft), but inactivates trifluorothymidine (TFT). We studied the contribution of TP activity to the sensitivity for these fluoropyrimidines by modulating its activity and/or expression level in colon and lung cancer cells using a specific inhibitor of TIP (TPI) or by overproduction of TIP via stable transfection of human TP. Expression was analysed using competitive template-RT-PCR (CT-RT-PCR), Western blot and an activity assay. TP activity ranged from nondetectable to 70678 pmol h(-1) 10(-6) cells, in Colo320 and a TP overexpressing clone Colo320TPI, respectively. We found a good correlation between TIP activity and mRNA expression (r = 0.964, P <0.01) in our cell panel. To determine the role of TIP in the sensitivity to 5FU, 5'DFUR, Ft and TFT, cells were cultured with the various fluoropyrimidines with or without TPI and differences in IC50's were established. TPI modified 5'DFUR, increasing the IC50's 2.5- to 1396-fold in WiDR and Colo320TPI, respectively. 5-Fluorouracil could be modified by inhibiting TP but to a lesser extent than 5'DFUR: IC50's increased 1.9- to 14.7-fold for WiDR and Colo320TPI, respectively. There was no effect on TFT or Ft. There appears to be a threshold level of TP activity to influence the 5'DFUR and 5FU sensitivity, which is higher for 5FU. Even high levels of TP overexpression only had a moderate effect on 5FU sensitivity. (C) 2003 Cancer Research UK