Weekly Low-Dose Adriamycin in Hormone-Resistant Metastatic Cancer of the Prostate

Weekly intravenous doses of 20 mg Adriamycin were given to 22 patients with hormone-resistant metastatic cancer of the prostate. (Median duration treatment: 8 weeks; range 3-60 weeks.) Of 21 adequately treated patients, 6 achieved a subjective response (Median duration: 4 weeks; range 4-28 weeks). In 2 patients a more than 50% size reduction of measurable lymph node metastases was observed, while the disease progressed at other sites (mixed response). The median survival from treatment start (8.5 months) was unrelated to the achievement of subjective response. In 10 of 21 patients a reduction of serum alkaline phosphatase was observed and 7 of 21 patients showed a decrease of serum prostatic acid phosphatase. These biochemical changes were not related to response. Toxicity was generally mild, but one case with severe irreversible thrombocytopenia was observed after 3 weekly doses of 20 mg Adriamycin. Weekly low-dose Adriamycin has marginal subjective efficacy in progressing hormone resistant prostatic cancer, a condition where effective and feasible chemotherapy is lacking. The combination of weekly low-dose Adriamycin with other agents, preferably hormones, should be explored.