Hairy cell leukaemia

Active Ingredient: Pentostatin

Indication for Pentostatin

Population group: only adults (18 years old or older)

Pentostatin is indicated as single agent therapy in the treatment of adult patients with hairy cell leukaemia.

For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:

4 mg/m² once every 2 weeks

Route of admnistration

Intravenous

Defined daily dose

4 - 4 mg per m² of body surface area (BSA)

Dosage regimen

From 4 To 4 mg per m² of body surface area (BSA) once every 15 day(s)

Detailed description

It is recommended that patients receive hydration with 500 to 1,000 ml of 5% glucose only or 5% glucose in 0.18% or 0.9% saline or glucose 3.3% in 0.3% saline or 2.5% glucose in 0.45% saline or equivalent before pentostatin administration. An additional 500 ml of 5% glucose only or 5% glucose in 0.18% or 0.9% saline or 2.5% glucose in 0.45% saline or equivalent should be administered after pentostatin is given.

The recommended dosage of pentostatin for the treatment of hairy cell leukaemia is 4 mg/m² in a single administration every other week. Pentostatin may be given intravenously by bolus injection or diluted in a larger volume and given over 20 to 30 minutes.

Higher doses are not recommended.

No extravasation injuries were reported in clinical studies.

The optimal duration of treatment has not been determined. In the absence of major toxicity and with observed continuing improvement, the patient should be treated until a complete response has been achieved. Although not established as required, the administration of two additional doses has been recommended following the achievement of a complete response.

All patients receiving pentostatin at 6 months should be assessed for response to treatment. If the patient has not achieved a complete or partial response, treatment with pentostatin should be discontinued.

If the patient has achieved a partial response, pentostatin treatment should be continued in an effort to achieve a complete response. At any time after a complete response is achieved, two additional doses of pentostatin are recommended. Pentostatin treatment should then be stopped. If the best response to treatment at the end of 12 months is a partial response, it is recommended that treatment with pentostatin be stopped.

Withholding or discontinuation of individual doses may be needed when severe adverse reactions occur. Drug treatment should be withheld in patients with severe rash, and withheld or discontinued in patients showing evidence of nervous system toxicity.

Pentostatin treatment should be withheld in patients with active infection occurring during the treatment but may be resumed when the infection is controlled.

Active ingredient

Pentostatin

Pentostatin is a potent transition state inhibitor of the enzyme adenosine deaminase. The greatest activity of ADA is found in cells of the lymphoid system with T-cells having higher activity than B-cells and T-cell malignancies higher ADA activity than B-cell malignancies. Pentostatin has been shown to have activity against a variety of lymphoid malignancies, but is most active against indolent cancers with lower ADA concentration, such as hairy cell leukaemia.

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