Epidoxorubicin in 14 Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors1

Anticancer drugs reversibly bound to magnetic flUids (ferrofluids) could be concentrated in locally advanced tumors by magnetic fields that are arranged at the tumor surface outside of the organism. If certain requirements are met, systemic toxicity might be minimized, and local tumor efficacy might be Increased. We have conducted a Phase I clinical trial using this approach In patients with advanced and unsuccessfully pretreated cancers or sarcoma& Nine such patients received two treat ment courses, 3 patients received one course, and 2 patients received three courses of magnetic drug targeting consisting of the Infusion of epirubicin in Increasing doses (from 5 to 100 mg/rn2) that had been chemically bound to a magnetic fluid and the application ofmagnetic fields to the tumors for 60â€"120 lain. In 2 of 14 patients, the same dose of epirubicln not bound to a magnetic fluid was administered systemically 3 weeks after drug tar geting for intraindividual comparisons. Magnetic drug targeting with epirubicin was well tolerated. In one case, a planned second treatment was withdrawn, because of an episode of chills 130 mm after infusion of the magnetic drug. Two patients received a third treatment because of good responses after the first two therapies. Based on magnetic resonance tomographic techniques, pharmacokinetics, and the hiStOlOgical detection