OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and tolerability of a novel anti-folate drug, pemetrexed, in the setting of a phase I clinical trial in patients with non-HIV related central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL). METHODS: In this multicenter, open-label, phase I dose finding clinical trial, pemetrexed was investigated as a single agent treatment for primary or secondary CNSL. RESULTS: A total of 18 patients were enrolled between January 2009 and November 2014. The mean age was 64.6 years old (range: 47-79). The ratio of male to female was 1:1. One out of six patients experienced a dose limiting toxicity (DLT) at dose level 1 (600mg/m2). There were no DLTs among the four patients enrolled at dose level 2 (900m/m2). Two of six patients experienced a DLT at dose level 3 (1200mg/m2). The MTD was therefore determined to be 900mg/m2. Overall, pemetrexed was well tolerated but toxicities were seen and need to be monitored. All patients experienced at least one type of toxicity of any grade. Most patients (92.9%) experienced at least one type of neurological toxicity. Grade-3 toxicities included confusion, speech impairment, and psychosis. Twelve patients (85.7%) experienced at least one bone marrow type of toxicity of any grade. These toxicities included anemia (78.6%), thrombocytopenia (57.1%), neutropenia (50%), leukocytopenia (42.9%), and lymphopenia (42.9%). Four patients experienced either grade-3 (14.3%) or grade-4 (14.3%) neutropenia. Three patients experienced grade-3 leukopenia (21.4%). One patient experienced grade-3 lymphopenia (7.1%) and two patients experienced grade-4 lymphopenia (14.3%). Twelve patients (85.7%) experienced at least one metabolic type of toxicity of any grade. A majority of these were also grade-1 or 2, with the exception of hypophosphatemia (grade-4), hyperglycemia (grade-3) and increased ALT (grade-3), increased AST (grade-3) and increased creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) (grade-4). Constitutional and gastrointestinal symptoms were seen in >60% of patients. These consisted mainly of fatigue, constipation, nausea, and anorexia. Musculoskeletal symptoms were seen in greater than 60% of patients. Less common adverse events included pain (<60%), infection (<40%), dermatologic, ocular/visual, and pulmonary/upper respiratory (<30%). The average number of cycles on treatment for all patients was 5.5 cycles. 14 patients were evaluated for response to treatment by neuroimaging (MRI) while on treatment. Of these, four patients (28.6%) showed a complete response (CR). Of those patients, 2 patients achieved this response after only 2 doses, and 2 patients after a total of 8 doses. 5 patients (35.7%) showed a partial response (PR) and four patients (28.6%) achieved stable disease (SD). The overall response rate (ORR) was determined at 92.9% (SD, PR and CR combined). CONCLUSIONS: Given this data, pemetrexed is a powerful drug and feasible alternative to existing treatment options; however, certain toxicities need to be closely monitored. Further studies are needed to assess the efficacy of pemetrexed in a larger cohort of patients with CNSL.

The aims of this thesis were to investigate the utility of in vitro drug sensitivity testing to optimize the use of cancer chemotherapy and to assess the properties of a new cancer drug in a phase I clinical trial. Tumour cells from patients were analysed with the short-term Fluorometric Microculture Cytotoxicity Assay (FMCA). In samples from a wide spectrum of tumour types, the effect of the drug combination FEC (5Fu-epirubicin-cyclophosphamide) was generally appropriately predicted from the effect of the best component drug. However, of samples intermediately sensitive to the best single drug, 45% converted to sensitive when testing the combination. Thus, combination testing may identify advantageous interactions and improve in vitro test performance. In tumour samples from peritoneal carcinomatosis, significant differences in drug sensitivity between diagnoses were observed, cross-resistance between most drugs was modest or absent, and the concentration-effect relationships for two drugs in individual samples varied considerably. Thus, for optimal selection of drugs for intraperitoneal chemotherapy, differences in drug sensitivity at the diagnosis and individual patient level should be considered. In samples from patients with ovarian carcinoma, drug sensitivity was related to tumour grade, histologic subtype and patient treatment status. In a homogeneous subset of patients, the FMCA predicted individual patient tumour response with high sensitivity and specificity. Thus, if carefully interpreted in the context of important clinical variables, in vitro testing could be of value for individualizing chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. Employing a once weekly dosing schedule in a phase I trial, the mechanistically new and preclinically promising NAD depleting drug CHS 828 produced dose limiting thrombocytopenia and gastrointestinal toxicity without clear evidence of anti-tumour efficacy. It is concluded that in vitro drug sensitivity testing could be a way to optimize the use of chemotherapy and that successful development of new cancer drugs needs improved strategies.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Phase I clinical trials (P1Ts) are the first step in testing new medical therapies in humans, and are essential for developing new and innovative therapies for children with cancer. P1Ts are ethically controversial as they are not intended to directly benefit participants, but are particularly controversial for children with cancer who are only able to participate when there is no known curative therapy for their cancer. Benefits of pediatric oncology P1T participation may include improved quality of life (QOL) and hope. Risks may include fostering unrealistic hope, burdening children with additional medical procedures and toxicities, and limiting the opportunity for palliation. The goal of this dissertation was to investigate the P1T participation experience for children with cancer and their parents by: (1) assessing what is currently known about the participation experience, (2) exploring ways to understand and assess treatment burden and QOL during participation, and (3) interviewing parents about the experience of having a child participate in a P1T. Following a review of the literature, two studies were conducted: a longitudinal pilot study of 13 parent and child dyads who enrolled in a pediatric oncology early phase clinical trial at the recruiting institution, and a phenomenological study of 11 parents of children with cancer who participated in pediatric oncology P1Ts. Key findings included a dearth of research on the experiences of children and parents in pediatric oncology P1Ts. Instead, existing research has focused on consent processes. The longitudinal pilot study provided some insight into experiences of children and parents during trial participation, including that there may be time points when parents’ and children’s perceptions of the child’s quality of life substantively differ. Interviews with parents confirmed some of the anticipated benefits and risks of participation in P1Ts, and highlighted parents’ sense of running out of time to find an effective treatment and needing to use time they have with their child well. Specific challenges in conducting this research were participant attrition due to disease progression and the need for multi-site research to obtain an adequate sample.

A nefrolitíase é uma doença comum e recorrente com prevalência mundial variando de 5 a 20%, com pico de incidência entre a 3ª e 4ª década de vida e com maior prevalência em homens (3:1), frequentemente associado a atendimento de urgência. O tratamento da litíase ocorre em duas fases. Inicialmente, no episódio agudo de dor pela passagem do cálculo pelas vias urinárias, cujo objetivo terapêutico é o alívio da dor e a expulsão do cálculo. Para aqueles doentes com cálculos de repetição, o objetivo terapêutico será o de reduzir a formação de novos cálculos. Para ambos os objetivos, o arsenal terapêutico disponível é limitado. Estudos pré-clínicos com o Extrato Padronizado de C. langsdorffi - EPC-AF® (Apis-Flora, Ribeirão Preto, Brasil), um composto vegetal extraído da bioflora nacional, mostraram perfil de segurança e eficácia deste composto como potencial medicamento para o tratamento da litíase renal. Desta forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi o de avaliar o perfil de segurança em humanos e eficácia preliminar do EPC-AF®. Foi realizado um estudo clínico fase I/IIa, randomizado, duplo-cego, comparado com placebo, de dose única de forma ascendente. As doses utilizadas foram de 175 mg, 350 mg,700 mg, 1,4 g e 2,8 g administradas por via oral em dose única após jejum de 12h. Foram estudados grupos de 6 voluntários sadios por dose. Em cada grupo, 4 voluntários receberam de forma randomizada e cega o EPC-AF® e 2 voluntários placebo. O escalonamento para doses mais altas foi feito após a comprovação de que não houve eventos adversos com a dose previamente usada. No total, 30 voluntários sadios foram estudados na Unidade de Pesquisa Clínica do HCFMRP-USP. Foram coletados dados clínicos e laboratoriais para segurança, com destaque para toxicidade renal, onde foram estudados variação das concentrações urinárias de NGAL (neutrophil gelatinaseassociated lipocalin), NAG (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase), KIM-1 (Kidney injury molecule-1) e alfa-1-microglobulina, além da dosagem sérica de cistatina C, um marcador da taxa de filtração glomerular. Os dados de eficácia preliminar foramcentrados na análise do perfil bioquímico urinário (pH, cálcio, citrato, oxalato, ácido úrico, magnésio e fosforo) em amostras de urina de 24h, coletadas antes e imediatamente após o uso de EPC-AF® ou placebo. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o EPC-AF® é seguro nas doses de 175 a 2,8 g por via oral. Não foi observada variações significativas das concentrações de 24h dos principais componentes facilitadores ou inibidores da formação de cálculos urinários / Nephrolithiasis is a common and recurrent disease with a worldwide prevalence varying from 5 to 20%, with a incidence peak between the 3rd and 4th decade of life and with a higher prevalence in men than women (3: 1), often associated with urgent care. The treatment of lithiasis occurs in two phases. Firstly, in the acute episode of pain by the passage of the calculus through the urinary tract, whose therapeutic objective is to relieve pain and expel the stone. For those patients with recurrent stones the therapeutic goal will be reducing the formation of new stones. For both objectives, the available therapeutic arsenal is limited. Preclinical studies with C. langsdorffi standard extract (EPC-AF®, Apis-Flora, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil), an herbal compound extracted from a Brazilian native plant, showed a safety and efficacy profile of this compound as a potential drug for the treatment of renal lithiasis. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the safety profile and the preliminary efficacy of EPC-AF® in healthy volunteers. A phase I/IIa clinical trial, randomized, double-blinded, placebocontrolled single-ascending dose was conducted. The doses used were 175 mg, 350 mg, 700 mg, 1.4 g and 2.8 g administered orally in a single dose after 12 h fasting. Groups of 6 healthy volunteers per dose were studied. In each group, 4 volunteers randomly and blindly received EPC-AF® and 2 volunteers received placebo. The escalation to higher doses was done after the confirmation that there were no adverse events with the dose previously used. In total, 30 healthy volunteers were studied on the General Clinical Research Centre of local teaching Hospital. Clinical and laboratory data were collected for safety, with emphasis on renal toxicity, where urinary concentrations of NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin), NAG (N-acetylbeta-D-glucosaminidase), KIM-1 (Kidney injury molecule-1) and alpha-1-microglobulin were measured, in addition to serum cystatin C, a marker of the glomerular filtration rate. Preliminary efficacy data were centered on urinary biochemical profile analysis (pH, calcium, citrate, oxalate, uric acid, magnesium and phosphorus) in 24-hour urinesamples collected before and immediately after use of EPC-AF® or placebo. The results showed that EPC-AF® is safe in doses of 175 to 2.8 g orally. No significant variations in 24-h concentrations of the major components facilitating or inhibiting the formation of urinary stones were observed