A PHASE-II STUDY TESTING WEEKLY PLATINUM DERIVATIVE COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY AS 2ND-LINE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER

A phase II trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of weekl y administration of cisplatin (25 mg/m(2) on day 1) and carboplatin (1 00 mg/m(2) on day 1) as salvage chemotherapy for patients with small c ell lung cancer after first-line chemotherapy without platinum derivat ives. Of 40 eligible patients, 38 were evaluable for response. Interva l between last course of first-line chemotherapy and first course of s alvage therapy was less than 3 months in 34 and greater in 4. Five par tial responses (13%; confidence interval at 95%:0.01-0.25) were docume nted (including 4 in patients with a treatment-free interval <3 months ) as well as 8 no change, 21 progressions and 4 early deaths due to ma lignant disease. Toxicity consisted mainly of moderate thrombopenia an d leucopenia. Grade I nephrotoxicity was observed in 6 patients. In co nclusion, weekly administration of moderate doses of cisplatin and car boplatin as salvage chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer appeared f easible and was associated with a moderate but definitive anticancer a ctivity.