Mj. Boyer et al., Phase II study of paclitaxel and oral etoposide in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, LUNG CANC, 32(1), 2001, pp. 89-94
The combination of paclitaxel and etoposide was evaluated in a phase II stu
dy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non small-cell lung canc
er (NSCLC). Thirty-five patients, median age 61, received treatment with pa
clitaxel 200 mg/m(2) intravenous over 3 h on day 1, and oral etoposide, 100
mg daily on days 1-5. Cycles were repeated every 21 days for a maximum of
nine cycles, or until progression occurred. Twenty-eight patients bad stage
IV disease, and seven patients had stage IIIA or B disease. There was one
complete and seven partial responses (overall response rate? 23%). Two of t
hese responses were in patients with stage III disease (29%) and six in pat
ients with stage IV disease (21%). Median survival was 8.7 months, and 36%
of patients were alive at 1 year. There were no treatment-related deaths an
d tittle grade 3 or 4 non-haematological toxicity although grade 3 or 4 neu
tropenia occurred in 60% of patients (33% of cycles). There were four episo
des of febrile neutropenia. The combination of paclitaxel and oral etoposid
e is active in advanced NSCLC and can be delivered with acceptable toxicity
. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.