The marked anticancer effect of combined VCR, MTX, and indomethacin against drug-resistant recurrent small cell lung carcinoma after conventional chemotherapy: Report of a case

In a previous study, we discovered that indomethacin was an effective modul ator of the sensitivity of pulmonary carcinoma cells to vincristine (VCR), methotrexate (MTX), adriamycin (ADR), and etoposide (VP-16). We describe he rein the case of a 61-year-old-man with multiple brain, lung, liver, and bo ne metastases from small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) that recurred after int ensive chemotherapy, who showed no signs of remission following conventiona l chemotherapy. The general condition of the patient deteriorated until he required morphine sulfate to control his severe diffuse pain. In an attempt to improve this patient's quality of life (QOL), he was discharged from ho spital and treated at the outpatient clinic with modulation therapy using i ndomethacin as an anodyne instead of morphine sulfate. Signs of almost comp lete remission to only one cycle of combination therapy with VCR, MTX, and indomethacin were observed without any obvious adverse effects. This case r eport serves to demonstrate that modulation therapy combined with VCR, MTX, and indomethacin may be useful in the treatment of patients,vith drug-resi stant recurrent SCLC.