title: Etoposide, cisplatin and doxorubicin in patients with small cell lung cancer: tumor response and long term survival.
abstract: One hundred and fourteen patients with small cell lung cancer received a combination of etoposide 80 mg/m2 IV days 1,2,3,15,16,17, cisplatin 20 mg/m2 IV days 1,2,3 and doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 IV day 1, repeated every 4 weeks. The observation time from the initiation of treatment is longer than 4 years for all patients. An 85% response rate (38% complete response) was obtained after 1-4 cycles in 105 evaluable patients (96 without prior antitumour treatments). The response rate was not influenced by initial performance status and minimally by disease extension, whereas the same prognostic factors correlated significantly with complete responses. For limited disease and WHO performance 0 all responses were complete. For extensive disease and performance 3 no complete response was obtained. Various chemotherapy regimens with or without radiotherapy were used during the maintenance phase. Forty five per cent of first relapses were in the lung or mediastinum and 18% in the nervous system (20% without and 7% with prophylactic cranial irradiation). The median survival was 13.4 months for limited and 8.5 months for extensive disease, and correlated with performance and response. Only 2 patients survived free of disease after 4.8 and 5.5 years. We conclude that the induction treatment as used here produces a high rate of partial and complete responses but a low rate of long survivors.
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin