Inhalation Chemotherapy for Macroscopic Primary or Metastatic Lung Tumors: Proof of Principle Using Dogs with Spontaneously Occurring Tumors as a Model

• Published in: Clinical cancer research 1999-09, Vol.5 (9), p.2653-2659
• Main Authors: HERSHEY, A. E, KURZMAN, I. D, FORREST, L. J, BOHLING, C. A, STONEROOK, M, PLACKE, M. E, IMONDI, A. R, VAIL, D. M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Inhalation; Animals; Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Agents - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Agents - blood; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Chemotherapy; Disease Models, Animal; Dog Diseases - blood; Dog Diseases - drug therapy; Dogs; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Doxorubicin - adverse effects; Doxorubicin - blood; Female; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lung Neoplasms - secondary; Lung Neoplasms - veterinary; Male; Medical sciences; Melanoma - drug therapy; Melanoma - secondary; Melanoma - veterinary; Paclitaxel - administration & dosage; Paclitaxel - adverse effects; Paclitaxel - blood; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Sarcoma - drug therapy; Sarcoma - secondary; Sarcoma - veterinary
• ISSN: 1078-0432; 1557-3265

This study represents part of an effort to determine the safety and efficacy of inhaled antineoplastic drugs, using pet dogs with spontaneously arising primary and metastatic lung cancers (including sarcoma, carcinoma, and malignant melanoma) as a model. Dogs received new formulations of either paclitaxel (PTX) or doxorubicin (DOX) by the inhalation route every 2 weeks using a specially designed aerosol device. Response was assessed radiographically using the indices of tumor nodule number and volume measurement of discrete pulmonary nodules. Dogs experiencing progressive disease after two consecutive treatments were crossed over to receive the alternate compound. In 24 dogs, 6 (25%) responses were noted including 5 partial responses (PR) and 1 complete response. These include 4 (22.2%) of 18 responses to DOX and 2 (13.3%) of 15 responses to PTX. Responses were noted with osteosarcoma (including three dogs with metastatic osteosarcoma that had failed prior systemic chemotherapy), liposarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and undifferentiated sarcoma. One dog with mammary carcinoma experienced a 47% reduction in volume after PTX inhalation, just shy of PR criteria. One dog with liposarcoma is experiencing a long-term (>12 months) stabilization of disease on PTX. To date, no systemic toxicities have been observed with either PTX or DOX inhalations. Local (pulmonary) toxicity was not observed with PTX; however, changes consistent with pneumonitis/fibrosis were observed in some dogs receiving DOX. Only one of these dogs showed clinical signs, which were responsive to steroid and antitussive therapy. These data represent “proof of principle” for the avoidance of systemic toxicity while delivering efficacious local drug levels by the inhalation route.