Skip to main content
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 2001 Nov;85(11):1627–1633. doi: 10.1054/bjoc.2001.2161

A phase I and pharmacokinetic study of intraperitoneal topotecan

L S Hofstra 1, A M E Bos 1, E G E de Vries 1, A G J van der Zee 2, J H Beijnen 3, H Rosing 3, N H Mulder 1, J G Aalders 2, P H B Willemse 1
PMCID: PMC2363984  PMID: 11742479

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and pharmacology of intraperitoneal (IP) topotecan. Patients and methods: Fifteen patients with recurrent ovarian cancer in a phase I trial were treated with escalating IP topotecan doses (5–30 mg/m2) for pharmacokinetic analysis. Results: Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) was acute hypotension, chills and fever at the 30 mg/m2 dose level. Haematological toxicity and abdominal pain were mild for all dose levels studied. Pharmacokinetics: Peak plasma levels of total topotecan were reached at 2.7 ± 1.1 h after IP instillation. The apparent V ss was 69.9 ± 25.4 L/m2, plasma clearance 13.4 ± 2.5 L/h/m2 and plasma T1/2 3.7 ± 1.3 h. The plasma AUC was correlated with the dose (R = 0.95, P < 0.01). The plasma AUC ratio of lactone versus total topotecan (lactone + carboxy-forms) increased with the dose from 16% to 55%, (R = 0.84, P < 0.01). Peritoneal total topotecan was cleared from the peritoneal cavity at 0.4 ± 0.3 L/h.m2 with a T1/2 = 2.7 ± 1.7 h. The mean peritoneal/plasma AUC ratio for total topotecan was 54 ± 34. Conclusion: A substantial dose of topotecan can be delivered by the IP route, achieving cytotoxic plasma levels of topotecan, with acceptable toxicity. The recommended dose for further phase II trials is 20 mg/m2 IP, which enables combination with active doses of other cytotoxic drugs, in view of its limited myelotoxicity when given by this route. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.com

Keywords: intraperitoneal, topotecan, ovarian cancer, pharmacokinetics, phase I

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (86.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alberts D. S., Liu P. Y., Hannigan E. V., O'Toole R., Williams S. D., Young J. A., Franklin E. W., Clarke-Pearson D. L., Malviya V. K., DuBeshter B. Intraperitoneal cisplatin plus intravenous cyclophosphamide versus intravenous cisplatin plus intravenous cyclophosphamide for stage III ovarian cancer. N Engl J Med. 1996 Dec 26;335(26):1950–1955. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199612263352603. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ardizzoni A., Hansen H., Dombernowsky P., Gamucci T., Kaplan S., Postmus P., Giaccone G., Schaefer B., Wanders J., Verweij J. Topotecan, a new active drug in the second-line treatment of small-cell lung cancer: a phase II study in patients with refractory and sensitive disease. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Early Clinical Studies Group and New Drug Development Office, and the Lung Cancer Cooperative Group. J Clin Oncol. 1997 May;15(5):2090–2096. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1997.15.5.2090. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Arts H. J., Willemse P. H., Tinga D. J., de Vries E. G., van der Zee A. G. Laparoscopic placement of PAP catheters for intraperitoneal chemotherapy in ovarian carcinoma. Gynecol Oncol. 1998 Apr;69(1):32–35. doi: 10.1006/gyno.1998.4968. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Burris H. A., 3rd, Hanauske A. R., Johnson R. K., Marshall M. H., Kuhn J. G., Hilsenbeck S. G., Von Hoff D. D. Activity of topotecan, a new topoisomerase I inhibitor, against human tumor colony-forming units in vitro. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1992 Dec 2;84(23):1816–1820. doi: 10.1093/jnci/84.23.1816. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cannistra S. A. Back to the future: multiagent chemotherapy in ovarian cancer revisited. J Clin Oncol. 1999 Mar;17(3):741–743. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1999.17.3.741. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Carmichael J., Ozols R. F. Topotecan, an active new antineoplastic agent: review and current status. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 1997 May;6(5):593–608. doi: 10.1517/13543784.6.5.593. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Frasci G., Panza N., Comella P., Cartení G., Guida T., Nicolella G. P., Natale M., Lombardi R., Apicella A., Pacilio C. Cisplatin-topotecan-paclitaxel weekly administration with G-CSF support for ovarian and small-cell lung cancer patients: a dose-finding study. Ann Oncol. 1999 Mar;10(3):355–358. doi: 10.1023/a:1008301222560. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Friedlander M., Millward M. J., Bell D., Bugat R., Harnett P., Moreno J. A., Campbell L., Varette C., Ripoche V., Kayitalire L. A phase II study of gemcitabine in platinum pre-treated patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Ann Oncol. 1998 Dec;9(12):1343–1345. doi: 10.1023/a:1008469212268. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Herben V. M., Panday V. R., Richel D. J., Schellens J. H., van der Vange N., Rosing H., Beusenberg F. D., Hearn S., Doyle E., Beijnen J. H. Phase I and pharmacologic study of the combination of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and topotecan administered intravenously every 21 days as first-line therapy in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. J Clin Oncol. 1999 Mar;17(3):747–755. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1999.17.3.747. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Herben V. M., ten Bokkel Huinink W. W., Beijnen J. H. Clinical pharmacokinetics of topotecan. Clin Pharmacokinet. 1996 Aug;31(2):85–102. doi: 10.2165/00003088-199631020-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hertzberg R. P., Caranfa M. J., Hecht S. M. On the mechanism of topoisomerase I inhibition by camptothecin: evidence for binding to an enzyme-DNA complex. Biochemistry. 1989 May 30;28(11):4629–4638. doi: 10.1021/bi00437a018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hofstra L. S., de Vries E. G., Mulder N. H., Willemse P. H. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. Cancer Treat Rev. 2000 Apr;26(2):133–143. doi: 10.1053/ctrv.1999.0152. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hoskins P., Eisenhauer E., Beare S., Roy M., Drouin P., Stuart G., Bryson P., Grimshaw R., Capstick V., Zee B. Randomized phase II study of two schedules of topotecan in previously treated patients with ovarian cancer: a National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group study. J Clin Oncol. 1998 Jun;16(6):2233–2237. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1998.16.6.2233. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hsiang Y. H., Lihou M. G., Liu L. F. Arrest of replication forks by drug-stabilized topoisomerase I-DNA cleavable complexes as a mechanism of cell killing by camptothecin. Cancer Res. 1989 Sep 15;49(18):5077–5082. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kantarjian H. M., Beran M., Ellis A., Zwelling L., O'Brien S., Cazenave L., Koller C., Rios M. B., Plunkett W., Keating M. J. Phase I study of Topotecan, a new topoisomerase I inhibitor, in patients with refractory or relapsed acute leukemia. Blood. 1993 Mar 1;81(5):1146–1151. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kingsbury W. D., Boehm J. C., Jakas D. R., Holden K. G., Hecht S. M., Gallagher G., Caranfa M. J., McCabe F. L., Faucette L. F., Johnson R. K. Synthesis of water-soluble (aminoalkyl)camptothecin analogues: inhibition of topoisomerase I and antitumor activity. J Med Chem. 1991 Jan;34(1):98–107. doi: 10.1021/jm00105a017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kudelka A. P., Tresukosol D., Edwards C. L., Freedman R. S., Levenback C., Chantarawiroj P., Gonzalez de Leon C., Kim E. E., Madden T., Wallin B. Phase II study of intravenous topotecan as a 5-day infusion for refractory epithelial ovarian carcinoma. J Clin Oncol. 1996 May;14(5):1552–1557. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1996.14.5.1552. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Levenback C., Curtin J., Johnston D., Rubin S. C., Yeh S., Hoskins W. Image analysis of the distribution of intraperitoneally administered fluids in patients with ovarian cancer. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol. 1994;15(5):345–351. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Markman M. Intraperitoneal therapy of ovarian cancer. Semin Oncol. 1998 Jun;25(3):356–360. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Markman M., Rowinsky E., Hakes T., Reichman B., Jones W., Lewis J. L., Jr, Rubin S., Curtin J., Barakat R., Phillips M. Phase I trial of intraperitoneal taxol: a Gynecoloic Oncology Group study. J Clin Oncol. 1992 Sep;10(9):1485–1491. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1992.10.9.1485. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mi Z., Malak H., Burke T. G. Reduced albumin binding promotes the stability and activity of topotecan in human blood. Biochemistry. 1995 Oct 24;34(42):13722–13728. doi: 10.1021/bi00042a002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Neijt J. P., ten Bokkel Huinink W. W., van der Burg M. E., van Oosterom A. T., Willemse P. H., Vermorken J. B., van Lindert A. C., Heintz A. P., Aartsen E., van Lent M. Long-term survival in ovarian cancer. Mature data from The Netherlands Joint Study Group for Ovarian Cancer. Eur J Cancer. 1991;27(11):1367–1372. doi: 10.1016/0277-5379(91)90011-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Pizao P. E., Smitskamp-Wilms E., Van Ark-Otte J., Beijnen J. H., Peters G. J., Pinedo H. M., Giaccone G. Antiproliferative activity of the topoisomerase I inhibitors topotecan and camptothecin, on sub- and postconfluent tumor cell cultures. Biochem Pharmacol. 1994 Sep 15;48(6):1145–1154. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(94)90151-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Plaxe S. C., Christen R. D., O'Quigley J., Braly P. S., Freddo J. L., McClay E., Heath D., Howell S. B. Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of intraperitoneal topotecan. Invest New Drugs. 1998;16(2):147–153. doi: 10.1023/a:1006045125018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Pratesi G., Tortoreto M., Corti C., Giardini R., Zunino F. Successful local regional therapy with topotecan of intraperitoneally growing human ovarian carcinoma xenografts. Br J Cancer. 1995 Mar;71(3):525–528. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1995.104. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Proost J. H., Meijer D. K. MW/Pharm, an integrated software package for drug dosage regimen calculation and therapeutic drug monitoring. Comput Biol Med. 1992 May;22(3):155–163. doi: 10.1016/0010-4825(92)90011-b. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Rosing H., Doyle E., Davies B. E., Beijnen J. H. High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of the novel antitumour drug topotecan and topotecan as the total of the lactone plus carboxylate forms, in human plasma. J Chromatogr B Biomed Appl. 1995 Jun 9;668(1):107–115. doi: 10.1016/0378-4347(95)00054-m. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Rowinsky E. K., Adjei A., Donehower R. C., Gore S. D., Jones R. J., Burke P. J., Cheng Y. C., Grochow L. B., Kaufmann S. H. Phase I and pharmacodynamic study of the topoisomerase I-inhibitor topotecan in patients with refractory acute leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 1994 Oct;12(10):2193–2203. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1994.12.10.2193. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Rowinsky E. K., Grochow L. B., Hendricks C. B., Ettinger D. S., Forastiere A. A., Hurowitz L. A., McGuire W. P., Sartorius S. E., Lubejko B. G., Kaufmann S. H. Phase I and pharmacologic study of topotecan: a novel topoisomerase I inhibitor. J Clin Oncol. 1992 Apr;10(4):647–656. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1992.10.4.647. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Tanizawa A., Fujimori A., Fujimori Y., Pommier Y. Comparison of topoisomerase I inhibition, DNA damage, and cytotoxicity of camptothecin derivatives presently in clinical trials. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1994 Jun 1;86(11):836–842. doi: 10.1093/jnci/86.11.836. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Verweij J., Lund B., Beijnen J., Planting A., de Boer-Dennert M., Koier I., Rosing H., Hansen H. Phase I and pharmacokinetics study of topotecan, a new topoisomerase I inhibitor. Ann Oncol. 1993 Sep;4(8):673–678. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.annonc.a058623. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Wall J. G., Burris H. A., 3rd, Von Hoff D. D., Rodriguez G., Kneuper-Hall R., Shaffer D., O'Rourke T., Brown T., Weiss G., Clark G. A phase I clinical and pharmacokinetic study of the topoisomerase I inhibitor topotecan (SK&F 104864) given as an intravenous bolus every 21 days. Anticancer Drugs. 1992 Aug;3(4):337–345. doi: 10.1097/00001813-199208000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. ten Bokkel Huinink W., Gore M., Carmichael J., Gordon A., Malfetano J., Hudson I., Broom C., Scarabelli C., Davidson N., Spanczynski M. Topotecan versus paclitaxel for the treatment of recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. J Clin Oncol. 1997 Jun;15(6):2183–2193. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1997.15.6.2183. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. van Warmerdam L. J., ten Bokkel Huinink W. W., Rodenhuis S., Koier I., Davies B. E., Rosing H., Maes R. A., Beijnen J. H. Phase I clinical and pharmacokinetic study of topotecan administered by a 24-hour continuous infusion. J Clin Oncol. 1995 Jul;13(7):1768–1776. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1995.13.7.1768. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES