Clinical Drug Experience Knowledgebase

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS During Dose Escalation:

Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
Other pulmonary tumors of neuroendocrine origin, including neuroendocrine carcinoma or non-SCLC with neuroendocrine features
Non-pulmonary small cell carcinoma
Metastatic carcinoid tumor
Other CD56-positive solid tumor
Diagnoses other than SCLC must have confirmation of tumor CD56 expression before study entry
Relapsed or refractory disease

Must have received at least 1 but no more than 3 prior chemotherapy regimens* and recovered from any acute toxicities

No prior chemotherapy for carcinoid or neuroendocrine tumors

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS During MTD Expansion:

Relapsed or refractory Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
Metastatic Merkel Cell carcinomas
Ovarian carcinomas

At the MTD:

SCLC patients must have received one, but no more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen Merkel and Ovarian patients must have received at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. Ovarian patients must have received at least one platinum-based regimen.

Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques or ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
No uncontrolled carcinoid syndrome (e.g., flushing, uncontrolled diarrhea, labile blood pressure)
No active brain metastases; no evidence of active disease and no requirement for anticonvulsant medications or steroids.

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
ECOG performance status 0-2
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL
Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
Bilirubin ≤ 3 times ULN
No rapidly rising liver function tests (LFTs)
Pancreatic function, amylase and lipase within upper limit of normal.
No significant residual neurological or cardiac toxicity ≥ grade 2 after prior chemotherapy
No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
No unstable angina pectoris
No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
No uncontrolled arrhythmia
No severe aortic stenosis
No history of multiple sclerosis or other demyelinating disease
No Eaton-Lambert syndrome (para-neoplastic syndrome)
No history of hemorrhagic stroke
No CNS injury with residual neurologic deficit
No ischemic stroke within the past 6 months
No history of pancreatitis
No current active infection or history of recurrent infection with varicella-zoster virus (shingles) or cytomegalovirus
No other concurrent serious infection
No chronic alcoholism
No other concurrent illness or condition that would interfere with study outcome
No other malignancy within the past 3 years except adequately treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
No known recent biochemical or clinical evidence of pancreatitis or extensive metastatic disease involving the pancreas

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

See Disease Characteristics
Total cumulative dosage of prior anthracycline treatment must not exceed threshold for cardiotoxicity
No known hypersensitivity to previous monoclonal antibody therapy
More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent chemotherapy or radiotherapy
More than 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent investigational agents
At least 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent surgery
No other concurrent antineoplastic treatment, including immunotherapy or steroid therapy