Phase II study of echinomycin in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma ECOG study E2885

Seventeen patients were treated with echinomycin for metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Echinomycin is a bifunctional DNA intercalating agent with broad preclinical antitumor activity. It was given at 1200 mg/m2 by intravenous infusion over 30-60 min weekly for 4 weeks. The treatment was repeated every 6 weeks. There were no responses observed in the study. No life threatening or lethal toxicity was documented in 13 eligible patients. The median survival of these patients was 13.7 months. We conclude that echinomycin is not active against metastatic renal cell carcinoma at the dose and schedule tested.