Therapeutic effect and toxicity of adriamycin in patients with neoplastic disease

Adriamycin is a hydroxymethyl analog of daunorubicin with antitumor effect in man. We have studied 86 patients: 44 with acute leukemia (27 children and 17 adults), and 42 solid tumors (20 children and 22 adults). Objective response was seen in 1 of 1 Wilms' tumor, 5 of 8 neuroblastomas, 2 of 3 Ewing's sarcomas, 4 of 5 reticulum cell sarcomas; 3 of 9 osteogenic sarcomas, 3 of 6 bronchogenic carcinomas, and 1 of 1 lymphosarcoma. Complete remission (M-1 marrow) was seen in 1 of 14 acute myelocytic leukemias. Of 30 acute lymphocytic leukemias, 5 had complete and 1 had partial remission. Responses lasted from 0.25 months to 10+ months with a median of 3 months. Except for patients with osteogenic sarcomas and bronchogenic carcinomas, all received prior chemotherapy. Major toxicity of adriamycin included granulocytopenia, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, marrow hypoplasia, stomatitis, vomiting, and alopecia. Activity of adriamycin in these patients with advanced disease supports its exploration in patients earlier in their therapeutic course.