ETOPOSIDE IN MALIGNANT PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA - 2 PHASE-II TRIALS OF THE EORTC LUNG-CANCER COOPERATIVE GROUP

Intravenous and oral etoposide (VP 16-213) were tested in two sequenti al phase II trials in chemotherapy-naive patients with malignant pleur al mesothelioma. In the first trial, etoposide was given intravenously (i.v.) at a dose of 150 mg/m(2) on days 1, 3 and 5 every 3 weeks. The second trial investigated a daily oral dose of 100 mg for 21 days fol lowed by a 2-week treatment-free period, and then recycling. In both t rials, the treatment was given until disease progression, intolerable toxicity or patient refusal. In the i.v. trial, 49 patients were inclu ded, 2 patients were ineligible. The oral trial recruited 45 patients, 4 patients were not eligible. In both trials, the main side-effects w ere moderate leucopenia, alopecia, nausea and vomiting. Two partial re sponses (4%) and three partial responses (7%) were reported in the i.v . and oral trials, respectively. The median survival was 29 weeks and 38 weeks in the i.v. and oral trials, respectively. In conclusion, fur ther investigation of etoposide in malignant mesothelioma is not recom mended. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.