title: Randomized study with the pineal hormone melatonin versus supportive care alone in advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer resistant to a first-line chemotherapy containing cisplatin.
abstract: At present, there is no effective medical therapy in metastatic nonsmall cell (NSC) lung cancer patients who progressed under a first-line chemotherapy containing cisplatin. Since recent data have demonstrated the antineoplastic properties and the lack of toxicity of the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT), a randomized study was designed to evaluate the influence of an MLT treatment (10 mg/day orally at 7.00 p.m.) on the survival time at 1 year from the progression under chemotherapy in respect to supportive care alone in a group of metastatic NSC lung cancer patients, who did not respond to a first-line chemotherapy containing cisplatin. The study includes 63 consecutive metastatic NSC lung cancer patients, who were randomized to receive MLT (n = 31) or supportive care alone (n = 32). The percentage of both stabilizations of disease and survival at 1 year was significantly higher in patients treated with MLT than in those treated only with supportive care. No drug-related toxicity was seen in patients treated with MLT, who, on the contrary, showed a significant improvement in performance status. This randomized study shows that the pineal hormone MLT may be successfully administered to prolong the survival time in metastatic NSC lung cancer patients who progressed under a first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin, for whom no other effective therapy is available up to now.
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Oncology, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lissoni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ardizzoia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paolorossi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crispino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tancini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tisi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Archili
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Toma
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pipino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010166:Palliative Care; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin; D002945:Cisplatin