title: Carboplatin plus oral etoposide in the management of advanced, non-small cell lung cancer: preliminary results of a Vanderbilt trial.
abstract: Twenty-eight patients with unresectable, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with carboplatin/oral etoposide. Carboplatin was administered intravenously on day 1 at a dose of 300 mg/m2 (12 patients) or 350 mg/m2 (16 patients); oral etoposide was administered at a dose of 50 mg/m2/d for 21 consecutive days. Treatment was repeated every 28 days. Patient characteristics included male:female ratio of 23:5, median age of 60 years, median Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 1, weight loss of 5% or more in seven patients; stage IIIB disease in two patients and stage IV in 26. Twenty-five patients were evaluable for response and seven (28%) achieved a partial response (95% confidence interval, 14% to 48%). Median duration of response was 3+ months (range, 2+ to 6+) and median survival was 4+ months (range, 1+ to 10+). Myelosuppression was the predominate toxicity; leukocyte and platelet nadirs occurred between days 22 and 29, with median counts of 2,900/microL and 172,000/microL, respectively. The median interval between the start of cycle 1 and the start of cycle 2 was 33 days (range, 26 to 42). Carboplatin/oral etoposide is a moderately active regimen against advanced NSCLC that can be administered in an outpatient setting with manageable toxicity. Its impact on survival remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeVore
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Greco
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walls
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Hande
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hainsworth
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012074:Remission Induction; D015996:Survival Rate; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin