THE ASSOCIATION OF CISPLATINUM-MITOMYCINE AND VINDESINE IN THE TREATMENT OF INOPERABLE SMALL-CELL BRONCHIAL-CANCER

The efficacy of the association of cisplatinum-mitomycine and vindesin e on inoperable non-small cell bronchial cancer has been assessed in a prospective study. Cisplatinum 120 mg/m2 and mitomycine 8 mg/m2 on da y 1, day 28 and day 70, and vindesine 3 mg/m2 once per week for the fi rst cycle, once every 15 days for the second and third cycles. 98 pati ents were included in the study between February 1989 and June 1990: t here were 89 men and 9 women with a mean age of 60. There were 57 epid ermoid cancers, 22 adenocarcinomas, 1 neuroendocrine carcinoma and 18 large cell cancers. There was an objective response (RO) in 25% (of wh om 5% had a complete response) without any significant difference betw een the 56 cancers at stage III (32% RO) and 42 cancers in stage IV (1 7% RO). The median survival of the responders was 14 months again 5 mo nths for the non-responders. The initial loss of weight seemed to be a prognostic factor because the number of objective responders was sign ificantly greater in the patients with only a small weight loss: 37% o f RO if the weight loss was less than 5%, against 11% for a weight los s of greater than 5%. The myelotoxicity of this association was import ant because 85% of those patients presented with a leucopenia at least grade II OMS. Peripheral neuropathies occurred in 27% of cases: 4 cas es of cardiotoxicity were reported.