Treatment of cancer with 2-deoxyglucose

Abstract

The compound 2-deoxyglucose can be used to treat cancer and to improve patient outcome when administered at a therapeutically effective dose, and, optionally, co-administered with other anti-cancer drugs, or in combination with surgical resection or radiation therapy.

1 . A method of treating cancer, which method comprises administering to a mammal in need of treatment for a cancer a therapeutically effective dose of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), said therapeutically effective dose obtained by administering 2-DG at a frequency greater than one day per week.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said 2-DG is administered for at least two weeks.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said 2-DG is administered daily for at least three consecutive days.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said 2-DG is administered daily for at least ten consecutive days.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said daily dose is in the range of about 1 mg of 2-DG per kg of patient weight to about 1 g/kg.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said daily dose in the range of about 25 mg/kg to about 150 mg/kg.  
   
   
       7 . A pharmaceutically acceptable formulation of 2-DG that comprises 2-DG and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
   
   
       8 . The formulation of  claim 7 , wherein said 2-DG is a solid.  
   
   
       9 . The formulation of  claim 8 , wherein said 2-DG is packaged in a sachet.  
   
   
       10 . The formulation of  claim 8  that is a tablet, capsule, or caplet.  
   
   
       11 . The formulation of  claim 10 , wherein said tablet, capsule, or pill contains at least 250 mg but less than 10 g of 2-DG.  
   
   
       12 . The formulation of  claim 7 , wherein said 2-DG is dissolved or suspended in a potable liquid.  
   
   
       13 . The formulation of  claim 12 , wherein said liquid is a glucose-free beverage.  
   
   
       14 . A method of treating cancer, which method comprises administering to a mammal a therapeutically effective dose of 2-DG in combination with another anti-cancer agent.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said cancer is a multi-drug resistant cancer.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said anti-cancer agent is an agent to which said cancer is resistant in the absence of 2-DG.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said anti-cancer agent is administered to the mammal at a dose that is lower than the recommended effective dose for administration when not administered in combination with 2-DG.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said cancer is a cancer selected from the group consisting of non-small-cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said therapeutically effective dose of 2-DG is obtained by administering 2-DG to said mammal at a frequency greater than one day per week.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said anti-cancer agent is selected from the group consisting of docetaxel, paclitaxel, cisplatin, and carboplatin.