title: A phase II study with teniposide (VM26) in patients with progressed or relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
abstract: Sixteen patients with advanced small cell lung cancer who relapsed or progressed under first-line therapy, were treated with second-line chemotherapy consisting of: teniposide, 60 mg/m2, i.v. days 1-5, every 3 weeks until further progression. The response rate was: 3 minor responses, 6 stable disease, 5 progressive disease, 1 early death and 1 not evaluable. After the introduction of teniposide, median survival was 4.5 (range 1-11) months, compared to the median survival (2 months, range 1-11) observed in 40 contemporary patients of our series, who relapsed or progressed and subsequently received no treatment. The assessment of the difference was significant: chi-square = 4.05, P less than 0.05. In addition a particular comparison was performed with 15/40 patients who matched according to the major predictive parameters of disease. These patients experienced 2 months (range 1-7) of median survival which was significantly shorter than that of the teniposide treated group (chi-square = 4.48, P less than 0.05). On these bases, teniposide appeared to be effective, but the small size of the study suggests caution in evaluating the results.
authors.affiliation: Clinica Oncologica, Università degli Studi di Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tummarello
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guidi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Furia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gramazio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Menichetti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cellerino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011034:Podophyllotoxin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013713:Teniposide / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013713:Teniposide; D011034:Podophyllotoxin