NORMAL METYRAPONE RESPONSE AFTER 1 MONTH OF HIGH-DOSE METHYLPREDNISOLONE IN CANCER-PATIENTS - PHASE-I STUDY

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 63  (8) , 1327-1330
Abstract
A dose of 125 mg of methylprednisolone was given i.v. each morning for 28 days to 6 patients with cancer. The posttreatment mean 0800/1600 h serum cortisol (hydrocortisone) level of 19.55/11.27 .mu.g/dl showed a statistically significant (P < 0.05) diurnal rhythm and did not differ from the pretreatment level (19.28/11.85 .mu.g/dl). The response to metyrapone (750 mg orally, every 4 h .times. 6 doses) was assessed in 5 of the 6 patients before and after treatment. No abnormally low 11-deoxycortisol levels were observed. The mean serum 11-deoxycortisol level (15.30 .mu.g/dl) achieved after treatment did not differ significantly from the pretreatment mean level (20.24 .mu.g/dl, P > 0.1). No adverse clinical effects were observed during or after this steroid treatment. Since significant hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal suppression was not demonstrated, this regimen appears to be safe for use in controlled studies of clinical efficacy.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: