Abstract:
A method and composition is provided for organ rescue wherein a specific counter-measure is applied locally to a tissue at risk for or exhibiting an adverse side effect of a cancer treatment. More particularly, the method and composition is directed at controlling Hand-Foot Syndrome, a painful redness and cracking of the skin of the hands and feet which can occur with systemic treatment with 5-fluorouracil or a precursor thereof. Uracil ointment is applied to the skin of the hands and feet to prevent Hand-Foot Syndrome which can occur from systemic administration of 5-fluorouracil (or precursor thereof) as cancer treatment.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES 
     This application is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 10/364,383 filed Feb. 12, 2003, now abandoned and which claims benefit from Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/355,764, filed Feb. 12, 2002. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention concerns reducing side-effects of certain chemotherapy, and particularly, side-effects manifested topically in areas of the hands and feet. 
     2. The Related Art 
     Chemotherapy can result in predictable toxicity to organs. An important chemotherapy is the use of 5-fluorouracil (5 FU), and its precursors, such as capecitabine available as Xeloda®, a drug produced by Roche Pharmaceuticals. Xeloda® and 5 FU can induce a skin side effect called “Hand-Foot Syndrome” (HFS). This syndrome can cause pain, a loss of feeling (numbness), a tingling feeling, swelling and redness in the palms of your hands and/or soles of feet. Some patients also get a rash, discolored skin, nail problems, and hair loss. Severe cases of HFS can be very painful, cause skin of the hands and feet to blister and peel. 
     Compilations relevant to this field include the following. 
     Mackean M, Planting A, Twelves C et al: Phase 1 and pharmacologic study of intermittent twice-daily oral therapy with capecitabine in patients with advanced and/or metastatic cancer. J. Clin Oncol 16:2977-2985, 1998. 
     Cao S, Frank C, Shirasaka et al: 5-fluorouracil pro drug: role of anabolic and catabolic pathway modulation in therapy of colorectal cancer. Clin Can Res 1:839-845, 1995. 
     Hoff, P: The tegafur-based dehydropyrimidine dehydrogenase inhibitory fluoropyrimidines, UFT/Leucoverin (Orzel) and S-1: a review of their clinical development and therapeutic potential. Invest New Drugs 18:331-342, 2000. 
     Johnson M, Hageboutros A, Wang K, et al: Life threatening toxicity in a dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase-deficient patient after treatment with topical 5-fluorouracil. Clin Can Res 5:2006-2011, 1999. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention introduces the concept of “organ rescue.” By applying locally a uracil ointment, certain adverse side effects of 5FU and its precursors can be averted. Uracil and 5FU are anabolized by the same enzymes. Uracil and 5FU differ chemically only in the H (Uracil) or F(5FU) at 5 position. Uracil is in high concentration when the uracil ointment is applied at the skin subject to HFS (“rescuing” the skin). After topical application of the uracil ointment to the hands and feet, uracil has negligible concentration in the body generally and specifically in the tumor containing regions of the body. The application of 1% uracil ointment prevents the anabolism of 5FU into a toxic form in those tissues, subjacent to the ointment application, where uracil concentration is high. Adverse side effects of 5FU are countered while preserving the anti-cancer systemic efficacy of the 5FU. With application of the uracil ointment to the hands and feet, the systemic uracil concentration is low. No longer is it necessary to reduce the systemic dose of 5FU/precursor in efforts to avoid the HFS side-effect. 
     The concept of “organ rescue” can be applied to other organs and to other chemotherapy agents which have specific organ toxicities. In each case, the rescue agent is directly applied in high local concentration to a tissue subject to toxicity thereby reversing the unwanted side effect of systematically administered anti-cancer agent. The rescue agent must, in each case, specifically reverse the local efficacy of the cancer treatment. The rescue agent must have negligible systemic concentration in the body to preserve the anti-cancer efficacy of the cancer treatment. 
     Previous work presumed the oral administration of uracil, systemically together with a precursor of 5FU would increase the metabolism of the 5FU and decrease its degradation. The resultant effect was presumed to be an increase in toxicity. This oral agent (UFT) is administered systematically at a dose of 1000-2000 mg uracil (4× molar excess over 5FU) per day. It is possible that the high uracil dose in UFT can counteract the anti-cancer effect of the 5FU. The 1% uracil ointment is administered at 1-2 cc or 10-20 mg uracil per day. 
     This logic for creating mixtures of uracil and 5FU/precursor was that the uracil compared to 5FU would be preferentially degraded and metabolized. Thus, the application of a 1% uracil ointment might be expected to increase HFS. Yet, quite the opposite was observed. The 1% uracil ointment eliminated the HFS toxicity of cancer treatment by 5FU or its precursor. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Use of uracil formulations can be effective as post-chemotherapy treatment providing benefit to the adverse skin effects of the chemotherapy chemicals. Among those effects that can be mitigated include redness (erythema) and cracking. 
     Chemotherapy agents applicable to the present treatment and method include 5-fluorouracil or precursors thereof. 
     Amounts of uracil as the rescue active in rescue formulations may range from about 0.01 to about 60%, preferably from about 0.5 to about 5%, optimally from about 1% by weight. 
     Formulations of uracil may be in any convenient format. These include creams, lotions, aerosol sprays, roll-on liquids, sticks and pad forms. 
     Treatment compositions of the present invention may be anhydrous or emulsions. Oil and water emulsions are preferred for the present invention. Whether anhydrous or emulsion type, compositions of the present invention may further include a variety of pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and skin actives. Amounts of the carrier may range from about 1 to about 99%, preferably from about 5 to about 70%, optimally from about 10 to about 40% by weight. Among the carriers are emollients, water, inorganic powders, foaming agents, emulsifiers, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, and combinations thereof. 
     Emollients are substances selected from polyols, esters and hydrocarbons. Polyols suitable for the invention may include propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, sorbitol, hydroxypropyl sorbitol, hexylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, 1,2.6-hexanetriol, glycerin, ethoxylated glycerin, propoxylated glycerin, xylitol and mixtures thereof 
     Esters Useful as Emollients Include 
     (1) Alkyl esters of fatty acids having 10 to 20 carbon atoms. Methyl, isopropyl, and butyl esters of fatty acids are useful herein. Examples include hexyl laurate, isohexyl laurate, isohexyl palmitate, isopropyl palmitate, decyl oleate, isodecyl oleate, hexadecyl stearate, decyl stearate, isopropyl isostearate, diisopropyl adipate, diisohexyl adipate, dihexyldecyl adipate, diisopropyl sebacate, lauryl lactate, myristyl lactate, and cetyl lactate. Particularly preferred are C12-C15 alcohol benzoate esters. 
     (2) Alkenyl esters of fatty acids having 10 to 20 carbon atoms. Examples thereof include oleyl myristate, oleyl stearate and oleyl oleate. 
     (3) Ether-esters such as fatty acids esters of ethoxylated fatty alcohols. 
     (4) Polyhydric alcohol esters. Ethylene glycol mono and di-fatty acid esters, diethylene glycol mono- and di-fatty acid esters, polyethylene glycol (200-6000) mono- and di-fatty acid esters, polyglycerol poly-fatty esters, ethoxylated glyceryl monostearate, 1,3-butylene glycol monostearate, 1,3-butylene glycol distearate, polyoxyethylene polyol fatty acid ester, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters are satisfactory polyhydric alcohol esters. 
     (5) Wax esters such as beeswax, spermaceti, myristyl myristate, stearyl stearate. 
     (6) Sterol esters, of which cholesterol fatty acid esters are examples thereof. 
     Illustrative hydrocarbons are mineral oil, polyalphaolefins, petrolatum, isoparaffin, polybutenes and mixtures thereof. 
     Inorganic powders are useful carriers. Examples include clays (such as Montmorillonite, Hectorite, Laponite and Bentonite), talc, mica, silica, alumina, zeolites, sodium sulfate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, calcium sulfate and mixtures thereof. 
     Aerosol propellants may also be used as carriers. Propellants are normally based on volatile hydrocarbons such as propane, butane, isobutene, pentane, isopropane and mixtures thereof Philipps Petroleum Company is a source of such propellants under trademarks including A31, A32, A51 and A70. Halocarbons including fluorocarbons and dimethyl ether are further widely employed propellants. 
     Emulsifiers may constitute at least a portion of the carrier for compositions according to the present invention. These may be selected from nonionic, anionic, cationic, or amphoteric emulsifying agents. They may range in amount anywhere from about 0.1 to about 20% by weight. Illustrative nonionic emulsifiers are alkoxylated compounds based on C10-C22 fatty alcohols and acids and sorbitan. These materials are available, for instance, from the Shell Chemical Company under the Neodol trademark. Copolymers of polyoxypropylenepolyoxyethylene sold by the BASF Corporation under the Pluronic trademark are sometimes also useful. Alkyl polyglycosides available from the Henkel Corporation may also be utilized for purposes of this invention. 
     Anionic type emulsifiers include fatty acid soaps, sodium lauryl sulphate, sodium lauryl ether sulphate, alkyl benzene sulphonate, mono- and di-alkyl acid phosphates, sarcosinates, taurates and sodium fatty acyl isethionate. 
     Amphoteric emulsifiers include such materials as dialkylamine oxide and various types of betaines (such as cocamidopropyl betaine). 
     Preservatives such as methyl paraben and propyl paraben are useful to prevent microbial contamination. 
     Another system for delivering uracil and similar rescue agents may be microsphere technology. Typical of this technology is use of a high surface area polymethacrylate impregnated with the rescue agent. 
     Except in the operating and comparative examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material ought to be understood as modified by the word “about.” 
     The following examples will more fully illustrate the embodiments of this invention. All parts, percentages and proportions referred to herein and in the appended claims are by weight unless otherwise illustrated. 
     All documents mentioned in this application should be considered as being incorporated herein by reference. 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     A patient being treated with orally administered Xeloda had to discontinue the routine after only 5 of 14 days of planned treatment. Discontinuance was the result of severe Hand-Foot Syndrome. Tumor measurements on the original date and after 21 days subsequent to Hand-Foot Syndrome recovery are recorded in Table 1 below as “initial” and “Day 21,” respectively. After two courses of treatment with Xeloda® and a concurrent topical application of 1% uracil ointment based on a vanishing cream base (applied four times a day to the hands and feet), the patient had no symptoms of the syndrome. See “Day 35.” 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Tumor 
                 Original Date 
                 Day 21 
                 Day 35 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Breast mass 
                 7 × 7 cm 
                 9 × 9 cm 
                 8.5 × 8.5 cm 
               
               
                 Left supraclavicular node 
                 1 × 1 cm 
                 2 × 2 cm 
                 1.5 × 1.5 cm 
               
               
                 Right axillary mass 
                 2 × 2 cm 
                 3 × 3 cm 
                 2 × 2 cm 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The administration of the uracil ointment both prevented the Hand-Foot Syndrome as well as restored the anti-tumor activity of the Xeloda®. 
     This 48 year old female patient exhibited metastatic breast cancer. She had refused mastectomy and had previously failed adriamycin and cytoxan, weekly taxol, weekly navelbine. She was then placed on Xeloda® together with 1% uracil ointment applied to the hands and feet. The 1% uracil ointment was used starting with cycle 5 of treatment with Xeloda®. Table 2 below summarizes results on this patient. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Course q3 wk 
                 1 
                 2 
                 3 
                 4 
                 5 
                 6 
                 7 
                 8 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Xeloda dose 
                 1250 
                 same 
                 D/C 
                 1000 
                 1250 
                 same 
                 same 
                 same 
               
               
                 14/21 days 
                 mg/m2 
                   
                 after 
                 mg/m2 
                 mg/m2 
               
               
                   
                 bid × 14 
                   
                 4 days 
                 bid × 14 
                 bid × 14 
               
               
                 Taxotere 75 mg/m2 
                 + 
                 + 
                 + 
                 + 
                 + 
                 + 
                 + 
                 + 
               
               
                 Marker tumor size 
                 12 × 12 
                 8 × 8 
                 7 × 7 
                 7 × 7 
                 9 × 9 
                 8.5 × 8.5 
                 8 × 8 
                 8.5 × 8.5 
               
               
                 cm-prior to rx 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 progression 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 on lower 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 dose Xeloda 
               
               
                 1% uracil ointment 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 + 
                 + 
                 + 
                 + 
               
               
                 Hand-foot syndrome 
                 ND* 
                 ND 
                 ++++ 
                 ++ 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 *Not described  
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The 1% uracil ointment allowed a reescalation of the dose of Xeloda®. The results show recovered anti-tumor activity at the higher dose of Xeloda®. The 1% uracil ointment did not interfere with the anti-cancer activity of the Xeloda®. Neither did the 1% uracil ointment have any discernible toxicity. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     Another patient, a 68 year old white female diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer, was treated with Xeloda® and thalidomide. Hand-Foot Syndrome developed. Complete reversal of the syndrome occurred after topical treatment with a 1% uracil ointment. The efficacy of the Xeloda® and thalidomide treatment was unaffected by the concurrent use if the 1% uracil ointment. There were no dose reductions of chemotherapy or treatment delays. 
     EXAMPLE 3 
     A 60 year old white female with metastatic colon cancer was treated with 5FU, Leucovocin®, and Oxaliplatin, a very common regime of treatment for this form of cancer. The patient developed hand-foot syndrome. Topical application of 1% uracil ointment resulted in complete resolution of the syndrome. The anti-cancer treatment remained efficacious. No side-effects were noted as a result of the uracil ointment applications. There were no dose reductions of chemotherapy or treatment delays. 
     The foregoing description and examples illustrate selected embodiments of the present invention. In light thereof, variations and modifications will be suggested to one skilled in the art, all of which are within the spirit and purview of this invention.