Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027497 (nausea)
 23,468 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

MTA has demonstrated activity in breast, lung, bladder, and gastrointestinal malignancies in early clinical trials. Gemcitabine is a cytotoxic pyrimidine antimetabolite with broad activity against solid tumors. We have demonstrated sequence-dependent in vitro cytotoxic synergy when gemcitabine exposure preceded MTA exposure in cultured human HCT-8 colon carcinoma cells. A phase I study testing this synergy in patients is in progress. To date, 14 patients with solid tumors have received 42 courses of treatment at a fixed gemcitabine dose of 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 and escalating doses of MTA (200, 300, and 400 mg/m2) given 90 minutes after gemcitabine on day 1. Courses are repeated every 3 weeks. The median number of courses received is three (range, one to seven). National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria grade 4 hematologic toxicity lasting less than 5 days has been leukopenia and neutropenia. Mild to moderate nonhematologic toxicities include arthralgia, nausea, fatigue, fever, rash, and liver function test abnormalities. One partial response occurred in a patient with previously treated metastatic gallbladder cancer. Dose escalation continues.
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PMID:A phase I trial of MTA and gemcitabine in patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer. 1059 62

Gemcitabine has modest activity in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer and is a potent radiosensitizer. We conducted a Phase I trial to determine the maximum tolerated dose of weekly gemcitabine delivered concurrently with radiation therapy for the treatment of locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head and to assess the treatment-related toxic effects associated with such a regimen. Eighteen patients with pathologically proven, locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head were enrolled in this study. Patients received seven weekly doses of gemcitabine with 3000 cGy of external beam radiation therapy delivered during the first 2 weeks of therapy. Six patients received gemcitabine at 350 mg/m(2)/week, nine at 400 mg/m(2)/week, and three at 500 mg/m(2)/week. Grade 3-4 hematological toxicity was observed in over half the patients treated. Nonhematological toxicities were significant and included fatigue, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and dehydration. Forty-four % of the patients required admission to the hospital for management of nausea/vomiting and dehydration. The risk of hospitalization appeared to be dose-related; all of the three patients treated at 500 mg/m(2)/week required hospital admission during treatment. Seventeen patients were evaluated for response, and eight patients (47%) had evidence of a local anticancer effect. Four of these eight patients (24%) had a partial response to therapy. The median survival for the entire group was 6 months. The 1-year survival rate for patients with an objective response to therapy was 66%. The clinical responses observed in this group of patients suggest gemcitabine is a clinically relevant radiosensitizer in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. However, the toxic effects are significant, suggesting that until dose and scheduling issues are explored further, concomitant administration of gemcitabine and radiation therapy should still be considered investigational.
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PMID:Phase I trial of gemcitabine combined with radiation for the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. 1148 98

Gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine) is a nucleoside analog with antitumor activity against a variety of malignancies. The critical enzyme cytidine kinase is saturated at plasma concentrations achieved after a 30-min infusion at conventional doses. Prolonged infusion time may yield higher intracellular dFdCTP concentrations. A phase I study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of gemcitabine, given by infusion for 3 h, in heavily pretreated patients. Twenty-seven patients (13 head and neck cancer, seven sarcoma, three esophageal cancer, three non-small-cell lung cancer and one ovarian cancer) were enrolled. Twenty patients were defined as refractory at first- or second-line chemotherapy. Four different entry dose levels (300, 400, 450 and 500 mg/m(2)) were evaluated for gemcitabine administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. The MTD was defined as 450 mg/m(2), with granulocytopenia, thrombocytopenia and asthenia being dose limiting. The maximum grade III/IV patient toxicities for hemoglobin, leukocytes, neutrophils and platelets for all doses were 7, 19, 19 and 11%, respectively. Non-hematological toxicities included asthenia, nausea/vomiting and diarrhea. Thus, gemcitabine administered at a fixed 3-h infusion was well tolerated up to 450 mg/m(2) in heavily pretreated patients. Myelosupression and asthenia were dose-limiting toxicities.
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PMID:Phase I trial of weekly gemcitabine at 3-h infusion in refractory, heavily pretreated advanced solid tumors. 1159 51

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of single-agent gemcitabine in untreated elderly patients with stage IIIb/IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Since April 1997, 46 consecutive patients have been enrolled in this multicenter study. Gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 was administered as a 30-minute intravenous infusion on days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days. Primary patient characteristics were: male/female 38/8; median age 73 years (range: 70-82 years); median Karnofsky performance status (PS) 90 (range: 70-100); stage IIIb 61% and stage IV 39%; histotype: epidermoid 48%, adenocarcinoma 43%, and large cell carcinoma 9%. No complete response was observed, but 10 (21.7%) patients achieved partial response (PR) (95% confidence limits: 11-36%), 27 (58.7%) had stable disease (SD), and 7 (15%) progressed early (at the first evaluation). The median duration of PR and SD was 8 months (range: 4-23+ months) and 4 months (range: 2-9 months), respectively. Subjective response evaluating PS and symptoms such as dyspnea, pain, and cough was evaluated in 40 patients; 11 (27.5%) improved, 15 (37.5%) remained stable, and 14 (35%) worsened. The median time to progression was 4 months, the median survival was 9 months, and 1-year survival was 44%. After a median follow-up of 10.5 months, 14 patients are still alive. There were no grade 4 toxicities. Grade 3 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 19% and 2% of patients, respectively. Nonhematologic toxicities were mild. Grade I/II side effects of nausea/vomiting, transient fever, increase of hepatic transaminases, transient peripheral edema at lower extremity (not related to cardiac or renal disease or phlebothrombosis) were reported. This phase II study confirms the activity and favorable toxicity profile of single-agent gemcitabine in the treatment of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC.
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PMID:Prospective phase II study of single-agent gemcitabine in untreated elderly patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer. 1180 66

Combination chemotherapy with newer, more active drugs in patients with advanced and/or metastatic bladder cancer might show improved response rate and survival. Gemcitabine (GEM) and Epidoxorubicin (EPI) have demonstrated activity in this disease. In addition, experimental studies in vitro have shown that the two agents have additive-synergistic effects when used in combination. Our prior phase I dose-finding study in previously untreated patients with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer defined recommended doses for further trials of GEM 1000 mg/m2 and EPI 25 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15 every 28 days. A phase II trial at this dose level was initiated in previously untreated patients to assess efficacy and toxicity. Eligible patients had measurable disease; Karnofsky performance status (PS) of > 40; no prior chemotherapy; and adequate bone marrow reserve, cardiac, hepatic and renal function. Thirty- one patients (22 males, 9 females) with median age of 64 (range 44-75) and median PS of 80 were accrued, and all were eligible. Twelve patients had T4N1-2 M0, 8 had lymph node only metastases, while 11 had visceral metastases (liver, bone, lung). A total of 181 cycles was administered (range 3-7 per patient). Major toxicities (WHO grade > or = 3) were: neutropenia in 5 patients, thrombocytopenia in 2 patients, and anemia in 2 patients. Three patients had febrile neutropenic episodes and only 3 patients required dose reduction. Grade 1-2 non-hematological toxicities included nausea/vomiting, stomatitis and alopecia. No cardiac toxicity was observed. Of the 30 response evaluable patients, 17 (57%) demonstrated a major response (3 complete and 14 partial) (95% CI: 39%-75%), 7 had stable disease (23%) and 6 progressed (20%). These preliminary results confirm the phase I observation that the combination of GEM--EPI is highly active in the treatment of advanced and metastatic bladder cancer with a favourable toxicity profile.
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PMID:Gemcitabine plus Epi-doxorubicin as first-line chemotherapy for bladder cancer in advanced or metastatic stage: a phase II. 1253 29

Forty-nine patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer (stage IV disease) received gemcitabine in a multi-center trial in the Fukuoka pancreatic cancer chemotherapy group, Japan. No complete remissions, 5 partial remissions (10%) and 25 no changes (51%) were obtained. Gemcitabine could maintain QOL. Main toxicities were hematologic, especially neutropenia. Neutropenia tended to appear in early administration. Non-hematologic toxicities were anorexia, nausea/vomiting, and skin rash. The mean overall survival period was 7.5 months. Carcinomatous ascites and/or pleural effusion resulted in a poor prognosis (average survival 3.1 months). Gemcitabine could be given without severe toxicities in outpatient clinics. These results suggested that gemcitabine is currently a first-line therapeutic agent for advanced pancreatic cancer.
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PMID:[Multi-center trial of gemcitabine for 49 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer]. 1289 12

Chemotherapy has had limited success in biliary tract cancer. Of the newer agents, gemcitabine (Gemzar) and irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) both have single-agent activity in patients with advanced disease. We conducted a phase II trial to study the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of gemcitabine plus irinotecan in patients with locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer. The study has enrolled 14 patients with histologically or cytologically documented cancer of the biliary tract or gallbladder with bidimensionally measurable disease, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1, decompressed biliary tree, and no prior exposure to chemotherapy. Gemcitabine at 1,000 mg/m2 and irinotecan at 100 mg/m2 were both administered on days 1 and 8, every 21 days. In patients who had less than grade 3 hematologic and less than grade 2 nonhematologic toxicity following cycle 1, the dose of irinotecan was increased to 115 mg/m2 for subsequent cycles. A total of 65 cycles of chemotherapy have been administered, with an average of 4.5 cycles per patient (range: 1 to 11 cycles). The median treatment duration was 3 months (range: 0.75 to 8 months). An objective partial response was determined radiographically in two patients (14%) while stable disease for periods ranging from 4 to 11.5 months was noted in six patients (43%). Toxicity consisted of grade 3/4 neutropenia in seven patients (50%) with no episodes of febrile neutropenia, grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia in four (28%), grade 3 diarrhea in two (14%), and grade 3 nausea in one patient. The combination of gemcitabine plus irinotecan appears to possess modest clinical activity, and it is well tolerated in patients with advanced biliary cancer. Patient accrual is ongoing to this study.
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PMID:Gemcitabine and irinotecan in locally advanced or metastatic biliary cancer: preliminary report. 1456 44

A 65-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital with continuous left hypochondralgia. CT scanning revealed an avascular tumor at the tail of the pancreas measuring 53 x 52 x 50 mm. Preoperative serum CEA was 198 ng/ml. During laparotomy, the tumor was deemed unresectable and insertion of a catheter in the splenic artery was carried out for postoperative arterial chemotherapy. Gemcitabine (GEM) was administered 1,000 mg 3 times in 2 months via the subcutaneous port connected to the catheter. Slight nausea was the only adverse effect. Decrease in tumor size was observed and serum CEA level dropped to 16.7 ng/ml. In the outpatient setting, 500 mg of GEM was administered several times. One year has passed since the initial treatment, and while the tumor is slowly enlarging, no liver metastasis has been observed. Oral NSAID has controlled the persisting back pain. In conclusion, arterial chemotherapy using GEM for advanced pancreatic cancer may be beneficial for patients.
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PMID:[Gemcitabine infusion via splenic artery for advanced pancreatic cancer]. 1461 95

In patients with advanced breast cancer, treatment with paclitaxel and doxorubicin has been shown to produce impressive overall response rates (up to 94%) and to prolong overall survival significantly over a combination of fluorouracil (5-FU), doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar) in one prospective phase III clinical study. These results have been challenged, however, by other data demonstrating no survival advantage for taxane-based therapies. In addition, the combination of paclitaxel and doxorubicin has repeatedly been shown to be complicated by the development of treatment-related congestive heart failure, when cumulative doxorubicin doses exceed 300-360 mg/m2. Consequently, attempts have been made to increase the complete remission rate and overall survival resulting from first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer without compromising patient safety. Gemcitabine (Gemzar)--a relatively effective, well-tolerated and partially non-cross-resistant antitumor compound with limited toxicity--represents an attractive alternative to paclitaxel/anthracycline combinations. Initial studies of combination therapy with gemcitabine and paclitaxel have produced an average response rate of 52%, with time to progression ranging between 7.0 and 14.5 months. Three-drug regimens containing gemcitabine, an anthracycline, and paclitaxel have been tested in phase II studies and have produced impressive response rates of 82.9% with gemcitabine, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel and 92% with gemcitabine, epirubicin (Ellence), and paclitaxel (GET). The Central European Cooperative Oncology Group has evaluated the GET regimen vs a regimen containing 5-FU, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) in a randomized, prospective phase III study. Interim toxicity analysis showed that the GET regimen was well tolerated but produced more grade 4 neutropenia (64% vs 42%, P = .084) and significantly more grade 4 thrombocytopenia (12% vs 0%; P < .001) than FEC. Anaphylactic/allergic reactions, peripheral polyneuropathy, nausea, and cardiotoxicity constituted rare events and did not exceed grade 1 or 2 in severity. Although final data from this phase III trial are not yet available, preliminary analysis suggests the GET regimen represents an attractive option for patients with advanced breast cancer.
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PMID:Gemcitabine, anthracycline, and taxane combinations for advanced breast cancer. 1476 4

The incidence of pancreatic cancer is about 10,000 cases a year in Germany. The role of surgery as a curative modality is limited. The 5-year survival for all stages remains less than 5%. Pain, cachexia, jaundice, nausea, fatigue and depression are frequent symptoms which reduce the quality of life for affected patients. Therefore, amelioration of symptoms is a major goal of palliative care. Chemotherapy may yield a moderate survival benefit. Gemcitabine is the drug of choice in metastatic pancreatic cancer. In locally advanced disease, radiochemotherapy can be considered. Different treatment strategies against molecular targets are currently tested in clinical trials.
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PMID:[Best supportive care of pancreatic carcinoma]. 1516 Feb 43


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