PATIENT WITH EXTENSIVE SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER GIVEN MODERATELY DOSE-INTENSIFIED CHEMOTHERAPY AND PERIPHERAL-BLOOD STEM-CELL SUPPORT

Although recent progress in multi-drug chemotherapy has increased the median survival of patients with extensive Small cell lung cancer (SCL C) to 7 months, 2-year survivors are still exceptional. We describe a 40-year-old man with extensive SCLC involving the lungs and systemic n odes who was initially treated with 6 cycles of an alternating combina tion regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, cisplatin and etoposide. After the second cycle of the regimen, Perip heral blood stem cells (PBSC) were harvested and frozen. The patient t hen received a moderately dose-intensified regimen consisting of cispl atin (80 mg/m(2)) and etoposide (500 mg/m(2)x3), followed by infusion of the thawed PBSC. Hematopoietic recovery was rapid, and the patient remained tumor-free for 12 months until multiple tumor recurrence.