It has been reported that the response rate to TS-1 of advanced recurrent gastric cancer was the highest rate (46.5%) of effectiveness among anti-cancer agents, but the incidence of adverse reactions to this drug has been found to be as high as 83.2%, with grade 3 or severer reactions occurring in 20.3% of patients. Taking into consideration the post-marketing survey finding that adverse reactions to the drug first appear 2-3 weeks after the start of oral TS-1 therapy, we attempted a new dosing regimen for this drug, wherein each session of therapy lasted for 2 weeks, with a one-week interval between two consecutive sessions (herein-after called "the 2-week regimen"). This regimen was employed based on the expectation that the adverse reactions to the drug would be minimized and that the consecutive dosing period could be prolonged, while keeping the anti-cancer potency at a level similar to that expected with the 4-week dosing regimen with a 2-week interval between sessions (the 4-week regimen). The subjects were 38 patients with advanced or recurrent stomach cancer who were treated with TS-1 at our center between September 1999 and November 2001. Twenty-four patients treated using the 4-week method until January 2001 were taken as a historical control, and compared with 14 patients treated using the 2-week method from February 2001 and afterwards. The incidence of adverse reactions was 71% in the 2-week regimen group against 92% in the 4-week regimen group. The incidence of grade 3 or severe adverse reactions was 8% in the 2-week group and 21% in the 4-week group. Thus, the incidence of adverse reactions was lower in the 2-week group. The percentage of patients who complied with the dosing instructions completely during a 6-month period, as evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method, was 86% in the 2-week group and 58% in the 4-week group. The response rate, as calculated in patients whose lesions could be evaluated, was 25% in the 2-week group and 19% in the 4-week group. These results suggest that the 2-week regimen may allow safer outpatient drug therapy using TS-1 and merits a trial when considering the QOL of patients. We propose conducting a phase-II multi-center clinical study of this regimen in the near future.

The toxicity of chemotherapy affects adversely the QOL of patients and limits the dose of chemotherapy that can be administered. In the last decade, several agents have been developed that offer possible reduction from the toxicity of a range of anticancer agents. Clinical trials to evaluate these agents are intrinsically more difficult to perform. Standardized assessment and management of chemotherapy-induced toxicities have been required to control these adverse events. Recently, practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist the practitioner and patients decision about appropriate management for specific clinical circumstances. Guidelines may be useful in producing better care and decreasing cost. Further clinical research is warranted to address significant questions about the most effective way to assess and treat these adverse events. However, it is important to realize that guidelines cannot always account for individual variation among patients. They are not intended to supplant physician judgment with respect to particular patients or special clinical situations. Dr. Rothenberg stated in his recent special article titled "Mortality associated with irinotecan plus bolus fluorouracil/leucovorin: summary findings of an independent panel" (J Clin Oncol 19: 3801-3807, 2001) that "Close clinical monitoring, early recognition of toxicities and toxicity syndromes, aggressive therapeutic interventions, and with holding therapy in the presence of unsolved drug-related toxicities is recommended for patients receiving intensive chemotherapy regimens".

Since the advent of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in the 1970s, a majority of metastatic testicular cancer patients have been cured with chemotherapy and surgery. The high curability of testicular cancer, along with the young age of afflicted patients, can result in patients living for many years after the chemotherapy. Thus, the assessment of late effects of chemotherapy is clinically important in testicular cancer patients. This article summarizes the literature regarding the long-term side effects, and reviews approaches to the amelioration of these side effects.

This is a review of the prevention of middle to late phase adverse drug reactions in chemotherapy. The development of clinical practice guidelines for cancer chemotherapy is being promoted recently. The guidelines for the prevention of adverse drug reactions are also necessary to achieve the best results from chemotherapy. A feature of middle to late phase adverse reactions is that almost all reactions are accumulative toxicities depending on the total dose of drug. Moreover, if they happen, there is no standard therapy to control the toxicity and only supportive care can be provided. Therefore, prevention and early detection of the toxicity is of utmost importance. It is necessary that all clinicians should have the knowledge of how to control these toxicities, and treat the patients appropriately on the basis of that knowledge.

Chemotherapy is frequently adopted for patients with solid cancer, as one of type of multidisciplinary treatment. Each chemotherapeutic drug has the potential to induce various adverse events in the patients receiving chemotherapy. Before the application of chemotherapy, sufficient knowledge and careful measures are indispensable to avoid adverse events, since uncontrolled adverse events cause a markedly lower quality of life and make completion of the treatment modality, one of the prognostic factors, difficult. Many adverse events have been reported. The mechanisms of some agents have been clarified, and prevention and treatments are feasible for adverse events caused by certain chemotherapeutic drugs. However, most adverse effects induced by chemotherapy have not yet been resolved. Frequent acute adverse events are reviewed from the standpoint of prevention and treatment.

Importance of this special articles on the prevention and management of various adverse drug reactions was described. Among various adverse reactions, cardiac, lung and neuro-toxicities in cancer chemotherapy and the means to prevent or manage such adverse reactions were mainly reviewed. In addition, this special issue include special supportive therapies in cancer treatment at home, importance of QOL in cancer therapy and future prospect on the management of adverse drug reactions.

A multi-center trial of exemestane 25 mg, an oral aromatase irreversible inactivator, was conducted to evaluate its efficacy and safety in 33 postmenopausal patients, and to investigate the pharmacokinetics/serum hormone levels in 16 postmenopausal patients, respectively, with breast cancer and anti-estrogen resistance. Exemestane 25 mg was given once daily for up to 48 weeks (maximum). The objective of this study was to confirm the reproducibility of the results shown in two studies in other countries with similar patients, to investigate the possibility of extrapolating the overseas data to Japanese. The response rate (CR + PR) was 24.2% (8.33%), which exceeded the minimum number (6 cases) required to evaluate efficacy. The response rate in this study was very similar to that observed in the two international open studies. Adverse events (subjective/objective symptoms), in which a causal relationship with exemestane administration could not be excluded, were observed in 26 cases (78.8%). Of these, hot flushes, increased sweating, fatigue, and insomnia occurred in more than 10% of patients, which was similar to that observed in the two international open studies. Abnormal laboratory results occurring in more than 10% of patients, in which a causal relationship with exemestane administration could not be excluded, were as follows: lymphocyte count decrease, alkaline phosphate increase, GOT increase, GPT increase, gamma-GTP increase, triglyceride increase, and inorganic phosphate increase, most of which were either grade 1 or 2. A remarkable decrease in serum hormone concentration was observed only for estrogen. The values of AUC0-infinity at day 1 and AUC0-24 h at day 29 (steady state) were similar, suggesting no accumulative effect of exemestane. These results demonstrate the anti-tumor effect and safety of exemestane in postmenopausal anti-estrogen resistant breast cancer patients. The reproducibility of the results of the two foreign studies was verified in Japanese patients, and it is concluded that the foreign trial data on exemestane can be extrapolated to Japanese.

Exemestane was administered orally to postmenopausal women with advanced/recurrent breast cancer at a dose of 10 mg/day or 25 mg/day once daily for more than 8 weeks in order to evaluate the drug's anti-tumor effects and safety in a dose-finding study. The response rate (CR + PR) in the 10 mg and 25 mg group was 25.0% (8/32) and 31.4% (11/35), respectively, demonstrating no significant differences between the two groups, yet a higher efficacy rate was observed in 25 mg group. The efficacy rate in hormone-treatment-resistant patients within the 10 mg and 25 mg groups was 14.3% (3/21) and 26.1% (6/23), respectively, demonstrating more than a 20% response rate in 25 mg group. Incidences of the adverse events of which relevance to the drug could not be excluded were 30.6% (11/36) in the 10 mg group. 13.9% (5/36) in the 25 mg group and 22.2% (16/72) in the total group. The major adverse events were, hot flashes, numbness of the limbs, nausea, headache etc. Abnormal findings in clinical laboratory tests were as follows: ALP increase; GOT increase; GPT increase; gamma-GTP increase; total cholesterol increase; urinary sediment present. Abnormal findings in endocrine function were as follows: aldosterone decrease; testosterone.cortisol.DHEA-S decrease. But discontinuation due to abnormal laboratory findings was not found. No abnormal findings in physical tests were observed. A significant decrease in plasma estrogen concentration at week 4 was observed in both the 10 mg and 25 mg groups compared with baseline. These low levels were maintained throughout the study period. On the basis of these results, the efficacy of exemestane 25 mg/day was verified to be slightly higher than 10 mg/day. In addition the safety profile had no major adverse events to notice. In these patients with advanced/recurrent breast cancer, 25 mg/day was recommended as the most appropriate dose to be used clinically.

A multiple-dose administration study of exemestane (0.5-50 mg/day after breakfast for 7 days) was conducted in 32 normal healthy postmenopausal Japanese women using a single-blind, 3-step dose-titration method in order to investigate the safety, effect on serum concentration, amount of urinary estrogen excretion, and pharmacokinetics of the drug. Subjective/objective symptoms, in which a causal relationship with exemestane administration could not be excluded, were as follows: headache (8 cases: 1 each in the 0.5 and 25 mg groups, 2 in the 10 mg group and 4 in the 50 mg group), dizziness (2 cases: 1 each in the 0.5 and 25 mg groups), and fever (1 in the 25 mg group), all of which were mild and disappeared without treatment. The only abnormal laboratory findings were a mild increase in levels of GOT and GPT in 1 case and in the number of basophils in another case. There were no notable abnormal findings in vital signs, body weight or EKG. A dose-dependent decrease in serum estrogen level was observed between doses of 0.5 mg and 25 mg. The decrease was maximal at 25 mg, at which serum estrogen concentrations decreased to 14-27% of those observed at day 0. This decrease was maintained for one week, returning to baseline levels 2 weeks after the completion of drug administration. A similar result was also observed in the suppression of 24-hour urinary estrogen excretion. Exemestane was absorbed immediately after initial administration, reaching Cmax 0.9-2.6 hours post-administration. This was followed by a rapid decrease over the next 4-8 hours followed by a gradual decrease Cmax reached normal steady state values on day 5. Cmax and AUC0-24 values taken between administration of the first and final doses increased proportionally in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that exemestane has a linear pharmacokinetic profile. Furthermore, results of the comparison of the trough concentrations of the initial dose with those of the final dose suggested no accumulative effects of the study drug.

A single-dose administration study of a new type of aromatase inactivator, exemestane, was performed in normal healthy postmenopausal Japanese women. The study was conducted to investigate the safety, effect on serum and urinary estrogen concentrations, and pharmacokinetics of exemestane at 25 or 50 mg. A crossover study using a single dose (25 mg) was also conducted in order to study the effect of meals on these parameters. Adverse events, in which a causal relationship with the study drug could not be excluded, were as follows: hot flushes (2/4), sleepiness (1/4), and glycogeusia (1/4), all of which were mild and transient. There were no clinically significant laboratory test or physical finding abnormalities with either dose, except for one patient in the 50 mg group who had an increase in levels of GPT, ALP and gamma-GTP. Maximal suppression of serum estrogen concentration (22-37% suppression) was achieved 3-4 days after single-dose administration of exemestane (25 mg or 50 mg), and almost no suppression was observed 2 weeks later. A significant decrease in the amount of urinary estrogen excretion occurred on day 4 and day 8 after exemestane administration. The level of urinary estrogen excretion almost returned to baseline levels in the 25 mg group and returned to 65% of baseline levels in the 50 mg group 2 weeks after drug administration. Both serum estrogen concentration and the amount of urinary estrogen excreted decreased in a similar fashion under both fasting and fed conditions, suggesting no effect of meals on the suppression of estrogen concentrations. Exemestane was adsorbed immediately after single-dose administration, and this was followed by a gradual decrease in serum concentrations in a multiphase pattern. An increase in Cmax and AUC0-tz values was observed after meals compared with those values obtained under fasting conditions, yet the increase was not statistically significant, suggesting that the increase was not clinically relevant. The results of this study verified the safety and the estrogen suppressive effects on serum and urinary concentrations of estrogen of a single dose of exemestane up to 50 mg. Furthermore, results suggest that the suppression of serum and urinary estrogen concentrations and pharmacokinetics of exemestane were not affected by food.

Irinotecan and its active metabolite, SN-38, were reported to have the absorption characteristics of weakly basic drugs. Moreover, stasis of these compounds is thought to induce damage to the intestinal mucous membrane. The purpose of this report was to examine whether oral alkalization (OA) combined with control of defecation (CD) might prevent irinotecan-induced side effects. From day one of irinotecan infusion to day four, OA & CD were practiced using orally administered sodium bicarbonate, magnesium oxide, basic water, and ursodeoxycholic acid. Thirty-two lung cancer patients were treated with irinotecan in combination with cisplatin in the absence of OA & CD (Group A). Thirty-seven patients matched for background characteristics were treated with the same regimen in the presence of OA & CD (Group B). Group B had a reduced incidence of delayed diarrhea (Grade 2 < or = Group A 32.3% vs. Group B 9.4%), nausea, vomiting, and myelotoxicity, especially granulocytopenia compared with Group A. In addition, dose intensification was well-tolerated in Group B. Tumor response rates for non-small cell lung cancer were 59.3% (16/27 patients) in Group B against 38.5% (10/26 patients) in Group A. OA & CD appears to reduce the irinotecan-induced side effects, especially delayed diarrhea. Risk factors statistically associated with delayed diarrhea include advanced age and the use of irinotecan without OA & CD.