PHASE-II TRIAL OF RALTITREXED (TOMUDEX) IN ADVANCED SMALL-CELL LUNG-CANCER

Raltitrexed, a thymidylate synthase inhibitor, was given to 21 patient s with advanced small-cell lung cancer, at a dose of 3 mg m(-2) as a 1 5-min intravenous infusion at 21-day intervals. All of the patients ha d extensive disease and 17 had received prior therapy. Patients with d isease refractory to primary chemotherapy were excluded. Forty-one tre atment cycles were given (median two, range one to four). The drug was well tolerated. No objective tumour response was documented. The pati ents had chemoresistant disease, as shown by a response in only one of ten patients who went on to receive alternative cytotoxic regimens. W e conclude that raltitrexed given in this schedule is inactive as seco nd line therapy for small-cell lung cancer.