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Purpose: To evaluate maximum tolerated dose and recommended dose (RD) for phase II studies of topotecan (TPT) combined with temozolomide (TMZ) (TOTEM) in children and adolescents with relapsed or refractory solid malignancies., Patients and Methods: Multicentre, phase I study with a standard '3+3' design in five dose increments. Eligible patients: aged 6 months to 21 years, diagnosis of a solid malignancy failed at least 2 previous lines of therapy. TMZ was administered orally, starting at 100 mg/m(2)/d, and TPT intravenously over 30 min, starting at 0.75 mg/m(2)/d over 5 consecutive days every 28 d. A pharmacokinetics analysis was performed on Day 1 and Day 5 of cycle 1., Results: Between February and October 2007, 16 patients were treated. The median age was 8.5 years (range, 3-19 years). Dose-limiting toxicity (grade 4 neutropenia and/or thrombocytopenia lasting more than 7 d) during the first cycle occurred in 2 of 3 patients at level 3 (TMZ 150 mg/m(2)/d and TPT 1.0 mg/m(2)/d) and was always manageable. Confirmed complete and partial responses were observed in 4 patients (25%), three with metastatic neuroblastoma and one with high-grade glioma. Seven patients had a stable disease. Pharmacokinetic data show a wide inter-individual variability. No significant differences were observed between plasma TMZ and TPT concentrations on Day 1 and Day 5 indicating the absence of pharmacokinetic interaction between the drugs., Conclusions: The RD for the combination is TMZ 150 mg/m(2)/d and TPT 0.75 mg/m(2)/d with dose-limiting haematological toxicity. The observed activity deserves further evaluation in paediatric malignancies., (Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Purpose: To determine the response rate (RR) of neuroblastoma (NB) in children to temozolomide (TMZ), and evaluate the duration of response and tolerance of the drug in this patient population., Patients and Methods: A multicenter, phase II evaluation of an oral, daily schedule of TMZ (200 mg/m2/d x 5 days every 28 days) was undertaken in children with refractory or relapsed high-risk NB (metastatic or localized with Myc-N amplification). Response assessment was based on imaging with two-dimentional measurement of disease and meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) score. Activity was defined by a reduction in lesion size or isotope uptake at anytime. Methodology included a two-step design using Fleming's method with a first step of 15 patients and a second of 10 additional patients if two to four responses had been observed in the first cohort. All data was centrally reviewed by a panel., Results: Twenty-five assessable patients were recruited over a 14-month period in 14 centers and received 94 cycles of chemotherapy. Twenty-three patients had metastatic NB either refractory (n = 9) or in relapse (n = 14). Grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia was the most frequent toxicity (16% of cycles). Myelosuppression resulted in treatment delays and dose reductions (24% and 21% of cycles, respectively). Response (complete response, very good partial response, or partial response) was observed in five patients (RR = 20% +/- 8%) with a median duration of 6 months and an objective or mixed response in five additional patients., Conclusion: Temozolomide shows activity in heavily pretreated patients with NB, and deserves further evaluation in combination with another drug.

Aims of this study were to determine the toxicity profile and the recommended dose of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx) in combination with topotecan in patients with advanced malignancies. Caelyx: 35 (DLI) or 40 (DLII) mg/m2/d1 was followed by 0.5 mg/m2/d topotecan daily for 5 days, every 4 weeks. Twenty-three patients received a total of 82 cycles. At DLII, 2/6 patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity consisting of grade 4 neutropenia lasting for more than 7 days and febrile neutropenia. At DLI, 4/18 and 2/18 patients presented febrile neutropenia and grade 4 sustained neutropenia, respectively. Non-hematological toxicities were mild to moderate. One patient with ovarian cancer presented a complete response. The hematological toxicity was a dose limiting factor that led to the recommended dose of 35 mg/m2 Caelyx on day 1 with 0.5 mg/m2/d topotecan on days 1-5. This study results suggest that alternative schedules of this combination are required.

Aim of this study was to determine the antitumour activity and toxicity of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx) in pretreated patients with locally recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Caelyx was administrated as 1 h infusion every 3 weeks at doses of 35 mg/m2 (group A) and then subsequently given at 45 mg/m2 (group B). 26 patients received a total of 87 cycles. The median number of cycles was 3 (range 1-7). Four out of 24 evaluable patients (17%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5-32%) showed significant evidence of antitumour activity, with tumour necrosis being observed in 2 patients. Grade 3-4 neutropenia was observed in only 2 patients. There were no grade 3-4 mucosal, skin, digestive, cardiac or hepatic toxicities. Caelyx has activity against locally recurrent SCCHN and is well tolerated up to 45 mg/m2, but a careful utilisation of this drug is required for tumours relapsing in irradiated areas.