title: Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide and gallium chloride for lung cancer: individual adaptation of doses.
abstract: Twelve inoperable lung cancer patients were treated with a combination chemotherapy of cisplatinum (CDDP) and etoposide (VP16), as a continuous infusion for 5 days, every 21 days, and with a daily oral administration of GaCl3. Dosages of CDDP and VP16 were adapted in order to obtain an area under the curve (AUC) of 80,000 micrograms l-1.h for plasma total platinum and of 200 mumol.l-1 h for plasma VP16 during each 120 h infusion. GaCl3 was given at the dosage of 400 mg/24h from the time of diagnosis at least until the evaluation after 3 courses of chemotherapy. An objective response was observed in 5 non small cell (NSCLC) lung cancer patients (group 1) and 3 small cell (SCLC) lung cancer patients (group 2). In the other 4 patients with a NSCLC no partial response was noted (group 3). No significant difference in area under the curve (AUC) was noted between the 3 groups, either for plasma total platinum (group 1 = 89,598 +/- 20,843 micrograms l-1.h; group 2 = 88,081 +/- 15,431 micrograms l-1.h; group 3 = 83,820 +/- 13,455 micrograms l-1.h), or for VP16 (group 1 = 227 +/- 41 mumol.l-1 h; group 2 = 217 +/- 29 mumol.l-1.h and group 3 = 211 +/- 30 mumol.l-1.h). The maximal plasma Ga concentrations were 244 +/- 34 micrograms/l in group 1, 112 +/- 57 micrograms/l in group 3 (p less than 0.005) and 243 +/- 132 micrograms/l in group 2. It was then decided to increase the dose of GaCl3 in the further non-responding patients. In 6 responders, 3 additional courses of this combination chemotherapy could have been given without major toxicity, allowing a much more important decrease in the tumor volume in 4 of them. This schedule of treatment should permit the chemotherapy to continue for longer than 6 courses, in order to improve the survival time.
authors.affiliation: Département des Maladies Respiratoires, Hôpital Maison Blanche, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire, Reims, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Collery
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Desoize
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Millart
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perdu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prevost
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vallerand
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pechery
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Choisy
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Etienne
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005708:Gallium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D005710:Gallium Radioisotopes; C034163:gallium chloride; D005047:Etoposide; D005708:Gallium; D002945:Cisplatin