Analysis of prognostic factors and survival in patients with ovarian cancer treated with second-line hexamethylmelamine (altretamine).

Hexamethylmelamine (altretamine, HMM) 260 mg/m2/day p.o. for 14 days followed by a 14-day drug-free interval was administered to 52 outpatients with advanced ovarian cancer who had previously been treated with chemotherapy. Prior to HMM, 92% (48/52) of these patients had received cisplatin and cyclophosphamide with or without doxorubicin. Two more patients received other cisplatin-based regimens. At the completion of HMM therapy, 15% (8/52) displayed no evidence of disease (NED). Of these eight patients, five are still alive 32 to 82 months after altretamine therapy (median follow-up of 46 months). At 41 months, one patient died of intercurrent illness with no clinical evidence of recurrence; the other two patients died of their disease at 21 and 31 months following HMM therapy. The median survival of the total group was 11 months: nine months for patients who did not respond to altretamine and 46+ months for patients with NED after altretamine (p less than 0.05). Intermittent oral administration of single-agent altretamine was well tolerated: eight patients reported moderate gastrointestinal symptoms, and only one patient reported severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Moderate neurologic toxicity was reported by five patients. No WBC fell below 2000 mm3 and platelet counts fell below 100,000 mm3 in only three patients; no patient experienced severe hematologic toxicity. In this series of patients, the overall response (15%) was comparable to or better than those reported for more toxic chemotherapeutic regimens. On the basis of these data and those reported by other investigators, HMM warrants consideration as a reasonable option in the management of recurrent or persistent ovarian cancer.

Hexamethylmelamine as a single second-line agent in ovarian cancer.

Fifty-two patients with advanced ovarian cancer were treated with single-agent hexamethylmelamine (HMM), 260 mg/m2 po per day for 14 days followed by 14 days off drug. All patients had been previously treated with chemotherapy. Of these patients, 92% (48/52) received cisplatin and cyclophosphamide +/- doxorubicin prior to hexamethylmelamine. Two additional patients received other cisplatin-based regimens. Fifteen percent (8/52) were found to have no evidence of disease (NED) at the completion of treatment with HMM. Five of these patients are alive at 12 to 65 months (median follow-up of 32 months); one patient died at 41 months of an intercurrent illness with no clinical evidence of recurrence; two patients died of recurrent tumor at 21 and 31 months. The median survival of the series of 52 patients is 11 months: 9 months for patients who did not respond versus 41 months for patients with NED post-HMM (P less than 0.05). The regimen was well tolerated: moderate gastrointestinal toxicity was reported by 8 patients; only one patient reported severe gastrointestinal toxicity. Moderate neurologic toxicity (primarily sensory) was reported by 5 patients, 3 patients experienced white counts less than 2000 or platelet counts less than 100,000, and no patient sustained severe hematologic toxicity. This moderate-dose intermittent regimen was associated with moderate toxicity and was well accepted by patients. The overall response is comparable to or higher than that reported for more toxic chemotherapy regimes. Based on these data and those recently reported by other authors, hexamethylmelamine should be considered in the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer.