Vincristine pharmacokinetics in children with Down syndrome

Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2009 Jan;52(1):123-5. doi: 10.1002/pbc.21691.

Abstract

Children with Down syndrome (DS), who represent about 2% of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, have inferior prognosis compared to non-DS children. For vincristine (and many other anticancer agents) pharmacokinetic data are scant or missing, and there is considerable uncertainty about the optimal dosing of drugs to patients with DS. We studied vincristine pharmacokinetics on treatment day one in six children with DS and compared to 92 non-DS children. No differences were found. Thus, we found no rationale for dose reduction of vincristine in DS children from a strictly pharmacokinetic point of view.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Down Syndrome / complications
  • Down Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Pharmacokinetics
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / drug therapy*
  • Vincristine / pharmacokinetics*

Substances

  • Vincristine