[Collaborative phase II study of etoposide (NK-171). Urological Cooperative Study Group of etoposide (NK-171)]

Phase II study of Etoposide administered intravenously and orally was performed in 163 patients with urologic malignancies for the clinical evaluation of responses and adverse effects. The eligibility of the patients and evaluation of the responses were carried out according to the general criteria proposed by Koyama and Saito. Out of the 163 patients registered in the study, it was possible to evaluate 141. In the cases of intravenous administration, the response rates were 16.7% in testicular cancer mostly refractory to prior therapy, 15.6% in bladder cancer, 7.7% in prostatic cancer, and 0% in renal cell route. The overall response rate was 11.1%. Toxicities were noted in the gastrointestinal tract, the rates being 54.4% for anorexia, 35.4% for nausea and 17.7% for vomiting. Alopecia was observed at a high incidence of 72.1%. Myelosuppression leukopenia and thrombocytopenia were the other prominent adverse effects.