Publications by authors named "Stanley P Balcerzak"

Purpose: Oxaliplatin and paclitaxel are widely used in treating solid tumors. We designed a phase I study with the purpose of determining the maximal tolerated dose and pharmacokinetic properties of weekly oxaliplatin followed by paclitaxel based on evidence suggesting that weekly administration of both drugs allows equivalent dose intensity with less neurotoxicity.

Experimental Design: Twenty-three patients with advanced solid tumors were treated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) usually consists of 7 days of cytarabine at 100-200 mg/m(2)/day and an anthracycline. Such combinations produce complete response (CR) rates of 60-80% in patients with de novo AML. On the basis of a previous report, suggesting a higher CR rate using a regimen of standard daunomycin and cytarabine followed by 3 days of high-dose cytarabine (HDAC), 101 eligible patients received this regimen in a phase II trial.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The purpose of this phase II multi-institutional study was to define the efficacy and toxicity of infusional 5-FU in combination with PALA and leucovorin in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients were required to have histologically confirmed colorectal cancer with distant metastases. The treatment regimen consisted of 5-FU 2600 mg/m(2) as a 24-hours continuous infusion given once a week, concurrently with leucovorin (LV) at 500 mg/m(2) as a 24-hour continuous infusion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The purpose of this phase II multi-institutional study was to define the efficacy and toxicity of infusional 5-FU in combination with PALA and leucovorin in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients were required to have histologically confirmed pancreatic cancer that was locally advanced, unresectable or disseminated. The treatment regimen consisted of weekly 5-FU 2600 mg/m(2) given concurrently with leucovorin at 500 mg/m(2).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To evaluate whether the high complete response (CR) rates for the combination of doxorubicin and paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer observed in two European studies could be replicated in a multi-institutional cooperative group trial.

Patients And Methods: This was a phase II study with 91 patients randomized between either doxorubicin (60 mg/m(2)) followed immediately by paclitaxel (200 mg/m(2) over 3 h) (AT), or with doxorubicin (60 mg/m(2)) followed immediately by cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m(2)) (AC). Treatment was limited to six cycles of therapy for the doxorubicin and paclitaxel combination.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: We describe the short and intermediate-term quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes in patients treated on a randomized clinical trial in early-stage Hodgkin's disease (Southwest Oncology Group [SWOG] 9133) comparing subtotal lymphoid irradiation (STLI) with combined-modality treatment (CMT).

Patients And Methods: Two hundred forty-seven patients participated in the QOL study (SWOG 9208), completing several standardized instruments (Symptom Distress Scale; Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System - Short Form; Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey Vitality Scale; and a health perception item), as well as questions about work, marital status, and concerns about having children. This article reports on results from baseline before random assignment, at 6 months, and at 1 and 2 years after random assignment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The current study was conducted to assess the activity and toxicity of high-dose ifosfamide and mesna with recombinant human granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF), given in an outpatient setting, in the treatment of patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma.

Methods: Between September 1994 and September 1996, 41 patients with histologically verified, unresectable malignant mesothelioma were registered, 38 of whom were analyzable (2 were ineligible and 1 was nonanalyzable). Patients received intravenous ifosfamide at a dose of 2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of combination fludarabine and mitoxantrone (FN) in untreated stages III and IV low-grade lymphoma. The major end point was to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) in all eligible patients.

Patients And Methods: Seventy-eight eligible patients were registered.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Complete remission and long-term survival rates are low for older adults treated for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Because of favorable phase 2 data using mitoxantrone and etoposide, we conducted a phase 3 study (SWOG-9333) in which patients over 55 years of age with previously untreated AML were randomized to receive mitoxantrone (10 mg/m(2) per day x 5) and etoposide (100 mg/m(2) per day x 5) [ME], or cytarabine (200 mg/m(2) per day x 7) and daunorubicin (45 mg/m(2) per day x 3) [AD] as induction therapy. The randomization was stratified by age, onset of leukemia, and multidrug resistance phenotype.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Overexpression of Bcl-2 is a potential mechanism for chemoresistance in acute leukemia and has been associated with unfavorable clinical outcome. We hypothesized that down-regulation of Bcl-2 would restore chemosensitivity in leukemic cells. To test this hypothesis, we performed a phase 1 study of G3139 (Genasense, Genta, Berkeley Heights, NJ), an 18-mer phosphorothioate Bcl-2 antisense, with fludarabine (FL), cytarabine (ARA-C), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (FLAG) salvage chemotherapy in patients with refractory or relapsed acute leukemia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

CI-980, (ethyl (S)-(5-amino-1,2-dihydro-2-methyl-3-phenylpyrido[3,4-b] pyrazine-7-yl) carbamate 2-hydroxyethansulfonate (1:1)), is a water-soluble mitotic inhibitor. It acts by binding to the colchicine-binding site on tubulin, a site different from that of the vinca alkaloids, inhibiting tubulin polymerization. Cells exposed to CI-980 accumulate in M phase and die.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This multicenter phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of the topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan (TPT, 9-dimethylaminomethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin) in patients with refractory or relapsing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-two patients with previously treated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were accrued in this study from June 1992 to June 1997. Patients were eligible if they had measurable disease and had received two or less chemotherapy treatments for indolent lymphoma or no more than one treatment for aggressive lymphoma.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The primary objectives of this trial were to define the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and to characterize the toxicities and pharmacokinetics of depsipeptide (FR901228) given on a day-1 and day-5 schedule every 21 days. A secondary objective of the trial was to seek evidence of antineoplastic activity.

Patients And Methods: Patients with advanced or refractory neoplasms received depsipeptide by a 4-h i.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF