1st International AIDS Conference Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. - April 14-17, 1985

Int Conf AIDS 1985 Apr 14-17; 1:21 (abstract no. S1B)

P Volberding, D Abrams, J Ziegler, M Conant, K Vranizan, K Kaslow.
San Francisco General Hospital, VA Hospital, and University California, San Francisco.

Because of the risk of chemotherapy associated immune suppression, efforts to treat KS have focused on single-agent chemotherapy. Vinblastine (VLB) is an attractive agent because of minimal toxicity and documented activity in non-AIDS associated KS. Thirty-eight patients with AIDS-related KS were treated with weekly intravenous VLB. Dose ranged from 4-9mg/week and was treated against the total WBC. All stages of KS were included. 76% of patients reported B symptoms prior to VLB and 8% had prior opportunistic infections (01). The median age was 33.8 and the median initial Helper/Suppressor T-cell ratio was 0.51. A complete response was seen in one patient (3%) an objective partial response in 9 (24%) and 19 patients (50%) had stable disease. 9 patients (24%) experienced disease progression. Subjective toxicity was minimal. No therapy related alopeica or significant nausea, vomiting or mucositis was seen. OI's were diagnosed in 30% of objective responders and 36% of non-responders during therapy. Anemia, elevated ESP, and the number of B symntoms correlated with poor outcome. VLB can, on the basis of this study, be considered an agent of moderate activity and minimal toxicity in AIDS-related KS. Further studies combining VLB with other agents are in progress.

850414
S1B

Copyright © 1985 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.