[Epirubicin containing regimens in advanced malignant tumors report of 516 cases. Epirubicin Collaborative Study...

In a prospective multi-centre collaborative study, 516 patients with advanced cancer were treated by epirubicin (pararubicin, EPI) containing regimens. After CEOP (cyclophosphamide CTX, EPI, vincristine VCR and prednisone PDN) was used in the treatment of 213 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, 87 patients had complete remission (CR) and 99 partial remission (PR). Their response rate was 87.3%. However, there were 2 CR and 71 PR in 161 patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated by CEP regimen (CTX, EPI and cisplatin PDD), with a response rate of 45.3%. In 70 breast cancer patients treated by EMF regimen (EPI, Methotrexate MTX and 5-fluorouracil 5-FU), 8 had CR and 28 PR, with a response rate of 51.4%. The EPI containing regimens were also effective in dealing with gastro-intestinal tract and nasopharyngeal cancers. Adverse effects of epirubicin containing regimens were mainly nausea and vommiting, and the dose-qlimit toxicity was leucopenia. Hepatic, cardiac and renal toxicities were rather mild. The current phase III study revealed that the effect of epirubicin is similar to that of adriamycin, but the cardiac toxicity is relatively mild. So the effects can be improved by increasing the dose-intensity.