title: Determining carboplatin/etoposide dosage in extensive stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).
abstract: In order to define the maximum tolerance level of combined carboplatin/etoposide dosage, patients with extensive stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) were treated with a fixed dose of carboplatin (300 mg/m2 iv on day 1) and escalating doses of etoposide starting with 80 mg/m2 iv on days 1-3. Five patients were given this starting and every following dose level. The daily dose of etoposide was increased in increments of 20 mg/m2 iv until severe myelosuppression occurred in 3 of 5 patients. Leuko- or thrombocytopenia WHO grade 3 or 4 occurred in 0/5 of the patients at the dose levels of 80 and 100 mg/m2, in 1/4 of the patients at the level of 120 mg/m2, in 2/5 of the patients at a level of 140 mg/m2, and 3/5 patients at a level of 160 mg/m2. Thus, increase in dosage was stopped at an etoposide dose of 160 mg/m2. Other side effects were mild and consisted predominantly of nausea and vomiting in 14/25 of the patients. The overall response rate was 40% with a 12% complete remission rate, median survival was 9.3 months and median progression-free survival totalled 4.3 months. These results indicate that combined carboplatin/etoposide is a well tolerated regimen in extensive-stage SCLC, with response rates comparable to those of other standard protocols. Using treatment intervals of 4 weeks the recommended dose of etoposide in combination with 300 mg/m2 carboplatin was identified as 140 mg/m2 iv for 3 consecutive days.
authors.affiliation: Philipps-University Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Tessen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goerg
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Achterrath
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Drings
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Havemann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin