title: Adjuvant chemotherapy for T1-2NOMO small cell lung cancer: single-agent or combination chemotherapy?
abstract: In an attempt to address the schedule of adjuvant chemotherapy in surgically resected T1 or T2NOMO small cell lung cancer, 12 patients were randomized to receive 6 courses of either single-agent (high-dose epirubicin) or combination (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, and etoposide) chemotherapy, at 3-week intervals. No thoracic radiotherapy was administered while prophylactic cranial irradiation (30 Gy/10 fractions/2 weeks) was given. With a 25-month median followup, overall estimated 2-year and median survival were 83% and 26.5 months (range 16-34+), respectively. Ten patients are currently alive and disease free. No significant difference in 2-year survival was observed between the two adjuvant treatment modalities and median survival was 28 months (range 13-34+) for combination and 21 months (range 14-29+) for single-agent chemotherapy. Although at high doses, epirubicin resulted in a moderate clinical and histological cardiotoxicity and a remarkably reduced incidence of severe (WHO grades 3 and 4) treatment-related morbidity compared with the combination regimen. These preliminary results suggest that comparable survival and reduced toxicity might be expected with an active single-agent as adjuvant chemotherapy in T1 or T2NOMO small cell lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: Service of Thoracic Surgery, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Macchiarini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hardin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basolo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Angeletti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D005047:Etoposide; D003520:Cyclophosphamide