Hyaluronan as a chemo-sensitizer in the treatment of cancer

1. A method of treating a solid tumor cancer comprising the step of intravenously administering to a subject, with said solid tumor cancer in need thereof, a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising a cancer chemotherapeutic and a hyaluronan, wherein the hyaluronan has a size expressed as a molecular weight of 800,000 to 1,432,000 Daltons or an intrinsic viscosity of 10.0 dl/gm to 14.5 dl/gm, and wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of cancers of the lung, pancreas, and colorectal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the subject is a mammal.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the mammal is selected from the group consisting of bovine, canine, equine, feline, porcine and human.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cancer chemotherapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of carmustine (BCNU), chlorambucil (Leukeran), cisplatin (Platinol), Cytarabine, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), fluorouracil (5-FU), methotrexate (mexate), CPT 11 (irinotecan), etoposide, pliamycin (Mithracin) and taxanes.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the cancer chemotherapeutic agent is fluorouracil (5-FU).

6. A method of treating a patient with a solid tumor cancer comprising the administration intravenously of a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of irinotecan (CPT 11) together with hyaluronan, wherein the hyaluronan has a size expressed as a molecular weight of 800,000 to 1,432,000 Daltons or an intrinsic viscosity of 10.0 dl/gm to 14.5 dl/gm, to a patient with said solid tumor cancer in need of such treatment, and wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of cancers of the lung, pancreas, and colorectal.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the molecular weight of the hyaluronan is about 800,000 to 1,000,000 Daltons.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the molecular weight of the hyaluronan is about 825,000 to 850,000 Daltons.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount of irinotecan (CPT 11) is about 100 to 500 mg/m 2 .

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount of irinotecan (CPT 11) is about 100 to 150 mg/m 2 administered every five to ten days for two or more cycles.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the therapeutically effective amount of irinotecan (CPT11) is about 300 to 350 mg/m 2 administered every 15 to 30 days for two or more cycles.

12. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the cancer is lung cancer.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cancer is pancreatic cancer.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cancer is metastatic.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said cancer is CD44 receptor positive.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the cancer is cancers of the lung.

17. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said cancer is CD44 receptor positive.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hyaluronan has a size expressed as an intrinsic viscosity of 10.0 dl/gm to 14.5 dl/gm.

19. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the hyaluronan has a size expressed as an intrinsic viscosity of 10.0 dl/gm to 14.5 dl/gm.

20. The method of claim 6 , wherein said hyaluronan is administered at a dose of about 750 to 1500 mg/m 2 .

21. The method of claim 6 , where said hyaluronan is administered at a dose of about 900 to 1100 mg/m 2 .

22. The method of claim 6 , wherein the dose of irinotecan is from about 125 mg/m 2 to about 350 mg/m 2 .

23. The method of claim 6 , wherein the dose of irinotecan is from about 100 mg/m 2 to about 200 mg/m2.