Current Status of Epirubicin (Farmorubicin) in the Treatment of Solid Tumours

H. T. Mouridsen Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

C. Alfthan Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

L. Bastholt Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

J. Bergh Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

M. Dalmark Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

S. Eksborg Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

S. Hellsten Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

M. Kjaer Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

C. Peterson Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

T. Skovsgård Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

J. B. Sørensen Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

C. Tropé Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

K. Aabo Departments of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen; Odense University Hospital, Odense; Aalborg City Hospital, Aalborg; University Hospital, Herlev; Department of Medicine F, Frederiksborg County Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark; Department of Urology, University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; The Gynecologic Section, the Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Oncology, University of Uppsala, Uppsala; Department of Urology, General Hospital, Malmö; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Hospital, and Karolinska Pharmacy, Stockholm, Sweden

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Abstract

Epirubicin (Farmorubicin) is a drug of significant interest in the treatment of a variety of solid tumours and a comprehensive review of reported investigations is given. From experimental and clinical studies it appears that in general doxorubicin and epirubicin exhibit no qualitative, but only some quantitative, differences. Thus, the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the two drugs are essentially similar, as are the tumour spectrum and the level of their clinical efficacies. To achieve haematological equitoxicity of the two drugs the dose of epirubicin should be approximately 20% higher than that of doxorubicin, giving rise to a higher cumulative dose of epirubicin. On the other hand, epirubicin is significantly less cardiotoxic than doxorubicin. Thus, the recommended cumulative dose of doxorubicin is 500 mg/m² and the corresponding figure for epirubicin is 1 000 mg/m². For either drug a number of questions are still left open, the most important of which include the questions about optimal treatment schedules and the existence of a clinical relevant dose/efficacy relationship.

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Current Status of Epirubicin (Farmorubicin) in the Treatment of Solid Tumours

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Current Status of Epirubicin (Farmorubicin) in the Treatment of Solid Tumours

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