[Hydroxy 9-methyl 2-ellipticinium acetate (NSC 264-137). Toxicologic study and therapeutic effect in 100 cancers...

A new derivative of ellipticine, hydroxy-9-methyl-2-ellipticinium acetate, was found to be a useful anti-tumor drug in advanced cancers which could not be treated any longer successfully by any other procedure. In our series of 100 patients, the best results were obtained with bone metastases from breast carcinomas and with anaplastic thyroid carcinomas. Most patients usually received a weekly perfusion of 80 mg/m2. The main characteristic of this drug is its lack of hematologic, and hepatic toxicity. No renal trouble was observed during the first year, but 2 deaths from renal insufficiency occured during the 18th and 15th month of treatment. The most frequent side effect consists of digestive troubles (nausea, vomiting) which rarely compelled to stop the treatment (4 times in 100 patients).