The purpose of this study was to determine activity of temozolomide combined with paclitaxel or epothilone B in vitro, and to investigate the combination of temozolomide with paclitaxel in a Phase I clinical trial. Melanoma cell lines A375P and DX3 were treated with temozolomide and either paclitaxel or epothilone B. Combination indices were determined to assess the degree of synergism. In a clinical study, 21 patients with malignant melanoma were treated with increasing doses of temozolomide (orally, days 1 -5), in combination with a fixed dose of paclitaxel (i.v. infusion day 1), followed by dose escalation of the latter drug. Cycles of treatment were repeated every 3 weeks. Pharmacokinetics of both agents were determined on day 1, with temozolomide pharmacokinetics also assessed on day 5. All three compounds were active against the melanoma cell lines, with epothilone B being the most potent. There was a strong degree of synergism between temozolomide and either paclitaxel or epothilone B. In the clinical study, no pharmacokinetic interaction was observed between temozolomide and paclitaxel. Dose escalation of both drugs to clinically active doses was possible, with no dose-limiting toxicities observed at 200 mg m À2 day À1 temozolomide and 225 mg m À2 day À1 paclitaxel. There were two partial responses out of 15 evaluable patients. One patient remains alive and symptom-free at 4 years after treatment. Temozolomide and paclitaxel may be administered safely at clinically effective doses. Further evaluation of these combinations in melanoma is warranted.

315 Background: The combination of capecitabine plus erlotinib in gemcitabine-refractory advanced pancreatic cancer patients has proved beneficial in terms of median survival duration, objective radiological response rate and decrease in tumour marker levels from baseline. In the phase I study of capecitabine and lapatinib carried out in advanced solid tumors, the optimal tolerated regimen was determined to be lapatinib 1,250 mg plus capecitabine 2,000 mg/m2/day. At these dose levels, the combination was well tolerated with few grade 3 toxicities and no grade 4 toxicity. Our preclinical work suggested synergistic activity of capecitabine and lapatinib in pancreatic cancer. We initiated a study of this combination in the first-line therapy of metastatic pancreas cancer. Methods: This was a single-arm multicenter study in patients with chemotherapy-naive metastatic pancreatic cancer. The primary endpoint was overall survival. The study was designed as a Simons two-stage optimal design and was divided into two stages. The first stage was to recruit up to 12 patients. If at least seven of these patients survived for at least six months, then a further 20 patients would be enrolled into the study. If six or fewer of the initial 12 patients met the specified study survival criteria, the study would be halted. Treatment was to be administered until disease progression or until withdrawal from the study due to unacceptable toxicity or other reasons. Clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed to evaluate disease response and toxicity of therapy. The study patients received lapatinib 1,250 mg/day, plus capecitabine 2000 mg/m2/day on days 1-14 every 21 days. Results: Nine patients were enrolled. Seven of these patients did not achieve the interim protocol response requirement of survival for at least 6 months, to allow for the study to continue to the second cohort of patients. Median overall survival from first dose was 4 months. Median time on treatment was 2 months. There were no objective responses. There were no unexpected toxicities. Conclusions: The addition of lapatinib to capecitabine does not improve overall survival in the first-line treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer patients. [Table: see text]

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