MULTI-CENTER CLINICAL EVALUATION OF VIDARABINE (ARA-A) IN TREATMENT OF HERPES ZOSTER IN CANCER PATIENTS BY CONTROLLED, DOUBLE BLIND TECHNIQUE

• Published in: CHEMOTHERAPY Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 53 - 73
• Main Authors: KUKITA, ATSUSHI, OTA, KAZUO, SAKUMA, AKIRA, NIITANI, HISANOBU, NIIMURA, MICHIHITO, FURUE, HISASHI
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Chemotherapy 1985
• ISSN: 0009-3165; 1884-5894
• DOI: 10.11250/chemotherapy1953.33.53

A double blind study was made to assess the efficacy and safety of ara-A treatment for herpes zoster in cancer patients. The patients were randomly divided into wo groups: one group treated with a high dose (300 mg/day) of ara-A for 5 days and the other with a low dose (50 mg/day) for 5 days. Skin lesions improved in more patients of the high dose group than in the low dose group 1, 3 and 7 days after the end of treatment. The overall improvement including skin lesions and neurologic symptoms indicated a trend to early improvement in the high dose group, compared with the low dose group. Significant improvement was also recognized in the high dose group 7, 14 and 21 days after the end of treatment, as compared with the low dose group. There was no significant difference in the overall safety rating between the high dose and the low dose group. The average rating of clinical utility in the high dose group was significantly higher than in the low dose group. We have drawn the conclusion that the treatment with ara-A, 300 mg/day for 5 days, when initiated early, is useful as an antiviral therapy for herpes zoster in cancer patients.