PACLITAXEL, CISPLATIN AND ETOPOSIDE COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY - A COMPARISON OF DOSE INTENSITY IN 2 MULTIFRACTIONATED DOSE SCHEMAS

66 patients with a variety of tumour types received the multifractiona ted TPE three drug regimen in a non-random allocation as a 5 day sched ule (schedule A) or as a twice weekly schedule (schedule B). The dose per fraction for each component drug was 35, 40 or 50 mg/m(2) for both paclitaxel and etoposide and for cisplatin, the dose per fraction was 15 mg/m(2). The total paclitaxel and etoposide dose was 175, 200, 250 mg/m(2) 3 week cycle. For schedule A, grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was ob served in 70/114 cycles (61%) with two treatment related deaths from 5 0 treated patients. For schedule B, grade 3 neutropenia was observed i n 1 of 30 courses (3%) with one drug related death from 19 treated pat ients. Dose intensity was increased by 20% for both paclitaxel and eto poside with the twice weekly schedule and at all dose levels, with hae matological toxicity substantially reduced relative to schedule A. Usi ng multifractionated schedules, a twice weekly open ended schedule res ults in an approximately 20% greater dose intensity and less toxicity compared with a 5 day schedule repeated every 3 weeks. The recommended dose schedule for TPE is paclitaxel 40 mg/m(2); cisplatin 15 mg/m(2) and etoposide 40 mg/m(2) twice weekly for 3 weeks repeated every 4 wee ks. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.