THERAPY OF AIDS-RELATED KAPOSI'S SARCOMA (KS) WITH ICRF-159
Int Conf AIDS 1985 Apr 14-17; 1:21 (abstract no. S1C)
Paul A Volberding D Abrams, L Kaplan, M Conant, G Carr San Francisco General Hospital and University California, San Francisco.
Because ICRF-159 is a very active agent in non-AIDS-related African KS, it was used here in patients with all stages of KS associated with AIDS. The drug dose and schedule were the same as in previous reports from Africa. Patients received Igm/m2/day x 3 orally every 3 weeks. 23 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 34.8 (range 25-47). All were males. Karnofsky status was at least 60% in all patients and was 90-100% in 17. Response was evaluable in 20 patients. Drug toxicity was minimal. Five patients experienced grade 3 thrombocytopenia (25-49, × 103 cells/mm3). No drug-related infections or bleeding occurred. Alopecia occurred in only one patient and no patients reported more than minimal mucositits, nausea, or neurologic toxicities. One patient died with sepsis and severe hepatic failure which was not clearly drug-related. Only one definite objective response (one other possible) was observed. Median survival is greater than 8.3 months. Interestingly, the one definite response occurred in a patient indadvertently receiving 3 times the planned dose (weekly instead of every three weeks.
This study shows a low response rate with ICRF-159 in AIDS-related KS compared to its marked activity in African KS patients. This highlights the unique biology of this cancer in the setting of immune deficiency.
