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Thirty-three patients with advanced colorectal cancer were entered on a phase II study of 4'-deoxydoxorubicin (esorubicin) (30-35 mg/m2 q 3 weekly). Objective response was documented in 4 of 25 previously untreated patients and in none of 8 previously treated patients. Toxicity was acceptable with grade 3 or 4 leukopenia occurring in 8 patients. Complete alopecia occurred only in 4 patients and gastro-intestinal toxicity was mild. A significant decrease (greater than 10%) of the left ventricular ejection fraction occurred in 8/23 patients who received greater than 2 courses of treatment.

Forty-six patients with acute leukemia were treated with mitoxantrone as a single agent. Twenty-nine patients had relapsed and/or refractory acute leukemia. Seventeen patients with acute non-lymphatic leukemia had received no prior treatment. Twelve mg/m2 of mitoxantrone was given intravenous on five consecutive days. Treatment related side effects included bone marrow suppression, mucositis, alopecia, nausea, vomiting and infection. Cardiotoxicity was documented in 7 patients. This study reconfirms that mitoxantrone is an active agent in acute leukemia with complete response documented in 10 of 29 patients with relapsed and/or refractory acute leukemia (34% response rate, 95% confidence limits 18-53%) and complete response documented in 11 of 17 patients (65% response rate, 95% confidence limits 38-87%) with previously untreated acute nonlymphatic leukemia.