P. Pfeiffer et al., IS CARBOPLATIN AND ORAL ETOPOSIDE AN EFFECTIVE AND FEASIBLE REGIMEN IN PATIENTS WITH SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER, European journal of cancer, 31A(1), 1995, pp. 64-69
The combination of carboplatin and etoposide is an active and well-tol
erated regimen in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The
aim of the study was to confirm whether the efficacy could be maintain
ed if etoposide was administered orally. 106 consecutive, unselected,
and untreated patients with SCLC (limited disease (LD) 44; extensive d
isease (ED) 62) were treated with a combination of carboplatin 300 mg/
m(2) intravenously (i.v.) day 1 and etoposide 240 mg/m(2) orally days
1-3 every 4 weeks for six courses or until progression. If oral treatm
ent was inconvenient, i.v. etoposide (120 mg/m(2) days 1-3) was allowe
d. Thoracic irradiation (45 Gy in 22 fractions, split course) was give
n after three courses of chemotherapy to 29 patients with LD. Objectiv
e response (complete and partial) was seen in 89% (confidence interval
(CI) 75-97) of patients with LD and in 53% (CI 40-66) with ED. Comple
te response was seen in 41% (CI 26-57) of patients with LD and in 8% (
CI 2-18) with ED. Median time to progression for responders was 11 mon
ths and 6 months for patients with LD and ED, respectively. Correspond
ing median survival was 15 months (range 1-45 months) and 8.5 months (
0-26 months). Myelosuppression comprised the main toxicity. Leucopenia
(WHO III-IV) was observed in 20% and thrombocytopenia (WHO III-IV) in
16% of the cases. One patient died of sepsis during Leucopenia. Oral
treatment was convenient for most patients and therapy well tolerated.
However, 9 patients (20%; CI 9-36%) with LD and 26 patients (42%; CI
29-56%) with ED received at least part of the etoposide treatment i.v.
. The present study shows that the combination of carboplatin and oral
etoposide is active and well tolerated, and may be used on an outpati
ent basis in patients with small cell lung cancer.