A phase II study of Gemcitabine (LY 188011) in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Abstract

Gemcitabine is a drug with documented anti-tumor activity in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

A phase II study of docetaxel in patients with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

“…Among the inhibitors of topoisomerase I, Topotecan has a response rate of 22% with a short duration (1-2.5 months) (Robert et al, 1994). Gemcitabine gave an overall response rate of 13% (7/61) in 61 patients (Catimel et al, 1994b). Three objective responses were observed in lung metastases.…”

Gemcitabine-Based Chemoradiation in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer: Systematic Review of Literature and Meta-Analysis

“…Gemcitabine (29,29-difluorodeoxycytidine; dFdC; Gemzar, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, http://www.lilly.com) is a fluorinated pyrimidine nucleoside analog with antitumor activity against a wide variety of solid tumors, including head and neck cancer, and a favorable toxicity profile when clinically used [21,22]. In addition, it has synergistic activity with cisplatin and radiosensitizing properties [23][24][25][26][27][28][29].…”

Difluorodeoxyuridine plasma concentrations after low-dose gemcitabine during chemoradiation in head and neck cancer patients

“…Gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine; dFdC) is a fluorinated pyrimidine nucleoside analogue (1) with antitumor activity against a wide variety of tumors, including head and neck cancer (2). Gemcitabine is a prodrug that requires several steps of phosphorylation to yield the active metabolites difluorodeoxycytidine diphosphate (dFdCDP) and difluorodeoxycytidine triphosphate (dFdCTP), which target DNA and RNA and are presumably responsible for the cytotoxic effect (1,3,4).…”