ALTERNATING CHEMOTHERAPY IN ADVANCED NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER - A PHASE-II STUDY

Fifty-three patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were trerated with alternating two-drug schedules cisplatin/vindesine and ifosfamide/mitomycin mitomycin. Objective response (complete and p artial response) was obtained in 31% (confidence limits 18.6-44%) of p atients. The mediam duration of response was 26 weeks. The median surv ival was 25 weeks, with 24% of patients alive at 1 year. The toxicity was acceptable. The still poor antitumor activity of the chemotherapy schedules used and the lack of non-cross-resistance are factors that c ould explain the low antitumor activity of alternating chemotherapy.