Pulse actinomycin D scheduling in nonmetastatic gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: cost-effective chemotherapy

The currently accepted method of treatment of patients with nonmetastatic gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (NMGTN) is single-agent chemotherapy. While methotrexate and actinomycin D have shown superiority over other cytotoxic agents, doses of drug and length of treatment are subject to controversy. Recently, the demonstration of the long half-life of actinomycin D in both animal models and humans has necessitated a reevaluation of the method of administration of this drug for NMGTN. Following the demonstration of minimal severe toxicity of pulse actinomyin-D scheduling by E. S. Petrilli and C. P. Morrow (Actinomycin D toxicity in the treatment of trophoblastic disease, Gynecol. Oncol. 9, 18-22 (1980), 12 consecutive patients with nonmetastatic gestational trophoblastic neoplasia were treated. The remission rates, toxicity, and cost effectiveness of pulse actinomycin-D scheduling in these 12 patients are reported.