Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0015672 (fatigue)
 51,768 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

TNP-470, an analogue of fumagillin, has been shown to inhibit angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. In 1992, TNP-470 entered clinical development for cancer as an anti-angiogenic agent. It is currently in Phase I/II trials in Kaposi's sarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, brain cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer. In early clinical reports, TNP-470 is tolerated up to 177 mg/m(2) with neurotoxic effects (fatigue, vertigo, ataxia, and loss of concentration) being the principal dose limiting toxicity (DLT). Terminal half-life values are short and have shown intermittent and intrapatient variation (range: 0.05 - 1.07 h). Recently, mechanistic studies have identified cell cycle mediators and the protein methionine aminopeptidase-2 (MetAP-2) as molecular targets of TNP-470 and fumagillin. Animal studies confirm some toxic effects on normal angiogenic processes such as the female reproductive system and wound healing, which will require caution and close monitoring in the clinic. TNP-470 is one of the first anti-angiogenic compounds to enter clinical trials, making it a valuable prototype for future trials of angiogenesis inhibitors in oncology.
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PMID:TNP-470: an angiogenesis inhibitor in clinical development for cancer. 1106 Jul 50

In addition to immunomodulatory and cytokine-modulatory properties, thalidomide has antiangiogenic activity. It has been investigated in a number of cancers including multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes, gliomas, Kaposi's sarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, advanced breast cancer, and colon cancer. Its role has been best explored in myeloma, where, at daily doses of 100 to 800 mg, it is remarkably active, causing clinically meaningful responses in one-third of extensively pretreated patients and in over half of patients treated early in the course of the disease. It also acts synergistically with corticosteroids and chemotherapy in myeloma. Thalidomide produces improvement of cytopenias characteristic of myelodysplastic syndrome, resulting in the reduction or elimination of transfusion dependence in some patients. Responses have also been seen in one-third of patients with Kaposi's sarcoma, in a small proportion of patients with renal cell carcinoma and high grade glioma and, in combination with irinotecan, in some patients with colon cancer. Thalidomide is being investigated currently in a number of clinical trials for cancer. Drowsiness, constipation and fatigue are common adverse effects seen in 75% of patients. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and skin rash are seen in 30%. A minority of patients experience bradycardia and thrombotic phenomena. Despite the high frequency of adverse effects, those severe enough to necessitate cessation of therapy are seen in only 10 to 15% of patients. A therapeutic trial of thalidomide should be considered in all patients with myeloma who are unresponsive to or relapse after standard therapy. In other malignant diseases, the most appropriate way to use the drug is in the setting of well designed clinical trials. In the absence of access to such studies, thalidomide could be considered singly or in combination with standard therapy in patients with no meaningful therapeutic options.
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PMID:Thalidomide in cancer: potential uses and limitations. 1143 82

Treatment options for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma are limited. Interferon-alpha has an overall response rate of 10-15% in phase II and III clinical trials and is considered a standard option for patients. Though the anti-estrogen toremifene has shown only modest single agent activity in renal cell carcinoma, evidence for synergy of anti-estrogens with interferon-alpha exists in renal cell and other cancers. Therefore, a phase II trial was undertaken to test the combination of interferon-alpha and toremifene in advanced renal cell carcinoma. Thirteen patients with measurable metastatic or unresectable local disease were treated with interferon-alpha at a dose of 5 million units/m2 three times a week and daily oral toremifene at 300 mg daily in divided doses. Patients were treated for 12 weeks and then restaged. Clinical response was the primary endpoint of the trial. Four patients (31%) had evidence of stable disease at 12 weeks, while the remaining nine patients (69%) progressed on treatment. Toxicity was moderate, with grade 2 or 3 fatigue, nausea and anorexia each noted in 31% of patients. We conclude that the combination of interferon-alpha plus toremifene demonstrates no significant activity in advanced renal cell carcinoma.
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PMID:A phase II trial of interferon-alpha and toremifene in advanced renal cell cancer patients. 1190 38

Thalidomide has immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenic properties which may underlie its activity in cancer. After its success in myeloma, it has been investigated in other plasma cell dyscrasias, myelodysplastic syndromes, gliomas, Kaposi's sarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, advanced breast cancer, and colon cancer. Thalidomide causes responses in 30-50% of myeloma patients as a single agent, and acts synergistically with corticosteroids and chemotherapy. Thalidomide results in the reduction or elimination of transfusion-dependence in some patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. Responses have also been seen in one-third of patients with Kaposi's sarcoma, in a small proportion of patients with renal cell carcinoma and high-grade glioma, and in some patients with colon cancer in combination with irinotecan. The drug is being investigated currently in a number of clinical trials for cancer. Drowsiness, constipation, and fatigue are common side effects, whereas peripheral neuropathy and skin rash are seen in one-third. A minority of patients experience bradycardia. Thrombotic phenomena are especially common when thalidomide is combined with chemotherapy. Adverse effects severe enough to necessitate cessation of therapy are seen in around 20% of patients. A therapeutic trial of thalidomide is essential in all patients with relapsed or refractory myeloma. In other cancers, the best way to use the drug is in the setting of clinical trials. In the absence of access to studies or alternative therapeutic options, thalidomide could be considered singly or in combination with standard therapy.
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PMID:Thalidomide in cancer. 1190 8

Advanced renal cell carcinoma is a chemoresistant disease. Immunotherapy with alpha interferon or interleukin (IL)-2 has produced response rates of approximately 15%, but better treatments are needed. IL-4 is a cytokine produced by activated CD4+ lymphocytes and has pluripotent activities including inhibiting the in vitro proliferation of human renal cell carcinoma cell lines. In this trial, patients were required to have a histologic diagnosis of renal cell adenocarcinoma with measurable disease and performance status (SWOG) of 0-1. Patients had to have adequate bone marrow, renal, and hepatic function as well as no clinically significant pulmonary or cardiac dysfunction. IL-4 was given by subcutaneous injection at a dose of 5 micorg/kg/d, daily for 28 days followed by a 7-day rest period. Fifty-eight patients were registered with seven patients ineligible and two patients not analyzable because they did not receive treatment. In the 49 eligible and analyzable patients, there were no confirmed complete or partial responses. There was one unconfirmed partial response in retro-caval lymph nodes, but no verifying measurement was done. There were seven patients with stable disease, no response, 25 with increasing disease/progression, and 16 patients whose assessment was inadequate to determine response. The median time to progression was 3 months, and the median survival was 13 months. Toxicity was significant with the most common side effects nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, followed by headache/pain and malaise/fatigue/lethargy. There were 13 instances of grade 4 toxicity that occurred in nine different patients. Unique toxicities included Bell's palsy in three patients and hypoglycemia in a previously well-controlled diabetic. Despite promising growth inhibitory and immunologic effects, IL-4 in this dose and schedule is not useful for the treatment of patients with disseminated renal cell carcinoma.
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PMID:Phase II trial of recombinant human interleukin-4 in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: a southwest oncology group study. 1214 58

Experimental studies have demonstrated that thalidomide (Thal), a drug developed as a sedative, has antitumoural properties. The possible antitumour mechanisms of action involve: inhibition of angiogenesis, cytokine-mediated pathways, modulation of adhesion molecules, inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 and stimulation of immuno response. Therefore, Thal is under clinical evaluation in oncology. This paper provides an overview of the data currently available in literature regarding, in terms of activity and toxicity, the use of Thal in cancer patients. Multiple myeloma is so far the most responsive malignancy. A moderate activity has been documented in certain solid tumours: glioblastoma multiforme, renal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. Tolerability is generally satisfactory with peripheral neuropathy being the most relevant dose-dependent toxicity. The more frequent, but moderate side effects are: somnolence, constipation, dizziness and fatigue. More studies are needed to properly evaluate the anticancer activity of Thal alone or in combination with other anticancer treatments. Preliminary studies suggest promising results of Thal in combinations with corticosteroids and cytotoxic drugs as front-line therapy of multiple myeloma. Regarding therapy of solid tumours in the adult, combination with chemotherapy, radiation therapy and molecular-targeting compounds are under investigation.
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PMID:Thalidomide: a new anticancer drug? 1283 55

We conducted a prospective quality-of-life analysis during outpatient immunotherapy in 22 patients with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with subcutaneous interferon-alpha2a and subcutaneous interleukin-2. Patients' quality of life was assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality-of-life questionnaire QLQ-C30 before (week 0) and once during immunotherapy (week 3). Advanced renal cancer patients completed a total of 30 questionnaires before therapy (week 0) and after 3 weeks of therapy. Their mean quality of life (global-quality-of-health status) deteriorated significantly, from 64 to 41 (P</=0.001) during the first 3 weeks after treatment initiation, due to a mean reduction in physical (from 82 to 65; P</=0.001), emotional (from 77 to 61; P</=0.01), social (from 78 to 55; P</=0.01), and role functioning (from 82 to 58; P</=0.01). In contrast, cognitive functioning did not differ significantly from pretreatment scores after 3 weeks of therapy. In addition, during the first 3 weeks, appetite loss (from 18 to 59; P</=0.01), fatigue (from 33 to 56; P</=0.01), nausea/vomiting (from 10 to 26; P</=0.01), sleep disturbance (from 27 to 47; P</=0.01), diarrhoea (from five to 27; P</=0.01), and pain (from 20 to 32; P</=0.05) were significantly increased, while quality-of-life symptoms such as dyspnoea, and constipation were not significantly influenced by therapy. Complete response to RCC outpatient immunotherapy was associated with the most predominant reduction in functional quality of life when compared against patients in progressive or stable disease or partial tumour response. In conclusion, quality-of-life analysis during outpatient immunotherapy yielded modest changes in patients' health status 3 weeks after therapy initiation. Since the rapid decline in functional quality-of-life was associated with therapeutic efficacy, it is suggested that quality-of-life analysis might serve as an early indicator for immunotherapy response in metastatic RCC. British Journal of Cancer (2003) 89, 50-54. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6600996 www.bjcancer.com
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PMID:Rapid deterioration in quality of life during interleukin-2- and alpha-interferon-based home therapy of renal cell carcinoma is associated with a good outcome. 1283 99

Despite significant advances in surgical oncourology, local recurrence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains a serious problem both for the doctor and the patient. Our study of treatment outcomes in local recurrent RCC consisted in a retrospective analysis of 13 patients with a local RCC recurrence in the renal fossa treated with surgical resection alone between 1991 and 2003. Twelve patients demonstrated no evidence of distant metastases at the time of the recurrence. One patient had a synchronous metastasis to the contralateral adrenal gland. A mean recurrence-free interval was 14.6 months (range 2-96 months) after nephrectomy. 46% patients demonstrated symptoms of weight loss, fatigue and lumbar pains. The source of local recurrence in 2 patients was metachronous metastases to the ipsylateral adrenal gland, in 1 patients--a tumor thrombus in the remnant of the left renal vein, in 3--soft tissues of the renal fossa and in 7--metastases to the regional lymph nodes. 13 resections were performed with one intraoperative death and one immediate postoperative death. Splenectomy was made in 2 patients, resection of the stomach in 1, distal pancreatectomy in 1, resection of the inferior vena cava in 3, aorta in 1. The average blood loss was 800 ml (300-4500 ml). Up to now 6 patients survived. Of 5 decreased patients 4 died of progressive disease in 1, 4, 10 and 16 months. 1 patient died of cause unrelated to cancer recurrence in 14 months. Out of 6 alive patients 4 have no signs of the disease for, on the average, 31.6 months (range 4-78 months) and 2 patients have obvious progression of the disease (1--repeated local recurrence, 1--distant metastases) 9 and 15 months after the operation. We believe that an aggressive surgical approach to a local RCC recurrence can produce an increase in disease-free survival and significantly improve quality of life for such patients.
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PMID:[Local recurrence of renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy]. 1470 37

Thalidomide has re-emerged as a novel antineoplastic agent with immunomodulatory and antiangiogenic activities. In the early sixties, it was withdrawn from the market after its infamous association with congenital abnormalities that left about 10,000 children affected world-wide. With strict regulations and precautions, thalidomide is now approved by the FDA for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum. Its role in cancer therapy is promising, with clinical trials in the past 5 years showing significant activity in multiple myeloma. Several trials are ongoing in other malignancies, such as myelodysplastic syndrome, agnogenic myeloid metaplasia, renal cell carcinoma, and prostate cancer. The major toxicities of thalidomide are birth defects, sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy, somnolence, rash, fatigue, and constipation. Less common side effects include deep venous thrombosis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, elevated liver enzymes, malaise, and peripheral edema. The incidence and severity of adverse events are related to dose and duration of therapy. Doses of the drug of 200 mg/day or less are usually well tolerated. In this review, we will discuss the incidence and management of the side effects of thalidomide and the precautions and interventions needed to minimize the toxicities of this drug.
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PMID:Management of thalidomide toxicity. 1533 75

Capecitabine is a fluoropyrimidine carbamate capable of exploiting the high concentrations of thymidine phosphorylase in tumor tissue to achieve activation preferentially at the tumor site. Thymidine phosphorylase activity is high in renal cell carcinoma tissue. Interferon alfa has been proved to be the agent for standard therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The purpose of the study was to assess the efficacy and toxicity of combining capecitabine and interferon alfa-2A in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Twenty-five patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma and no prior systemic therapy were treated with the combination of capecitabine at a dose of 1,250 mg/m2 twice daily for 2 weeks after every 21 days and interferon alfa-2A 6 million U three times a week. The overall response rate was 24.0% (95% CI, 9.4-45.1%), from 6 responded patients 5 had partial responses and 1 complete response. Stable disease status was achieved in 9 patients (36.0% with 95% CI 18.0-57.5%). The median survival time was 248 days (95% CI, 173-265 days). The median time to progression was 126 days (95% CI, 49-165 days). Grade 3-4 toxicities occurred in 12 patients and included fatigue (33.3%), nausea, hand-foot syndrome (both 12.5%), anorexia (8.3%), vomiting, anemia and neutropenia (all 4.2%). The capecitabine and interferon alfa-2A combination has clinical activity and an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. The importance of adding capecitabine to interferon alfa needs to be confirmed in a randomized trial.
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PMID:Combination therapy with capecitabine and interferon alfa-2A in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma: a phase II study. 1546 18


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