BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION, vol.25, no.7, pp.697-703, 2000 (SCI-Expanded)
The purpose of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of carboplatin administered with 500 mg/m(2) thiotepa and 100 mg/m(2) melphalan followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) infusion in patients with refractory malignancies. Twenty-eight patients with refractory malignancies received high-dose thiotepa (500 mg/m(2), melphalan (100 mg/m(2)) and escalating doses of carboplatin 900-1500 mg/m(2)) followed by infusion of cryopreserved autologous PBSCs, The maximum tolerated doses were determined to be 500 mg/m(2) thiotepa, 100 mg/m(2) melphalan and 1350 mg/m(2) carboplatin. Two consecutive patients receiving 1500 mg/m(2) carboplatin experienced grade 3 mucositis and colitis, Ten patients were enrolled at the maximum tolerated dose and none had grade 3-4 regimen-related toxicity and mortality. All patients at this level experienced grade 1-2 mucositis, 90% grade 1-2 gastrointestinal toxicity, 30% grade 1-2 cardiac and renal toxicity, and 10% experienced grade 1 hepatic toxicity, The median time to achieve a granulocyte count of 0.5 x 10(9)/l was 9 days (range 7-12 days) and platelet count of 20 x 10(9)/l was 10 days (range 7-15 days), Of eight patients with stage IV refractory breast cancer, even were evaluable for response, one patient on day 75 will be evaluated soon. Five of seven (71.5%) evaluable patients achieved a complete remission (CR) and two had no response. Of seven patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 4) or Hodgkin's disease (n = 3), five achieved a CR (71.5%). Thiotepa, melphalan and carboplatin can be administered in high doses with tolerable mucositis as the major side-effect. This combination has significant activity in patients with breast cancer, and phase II studies in patients with breast cancer and other chemotherapy-sensitive malignancies are warranted.