title: 5-FU in the treatment of small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung: a phase II trial.
abstract: The effect of 5-FU as a single agent in small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung was evaluated in 26 patients. All patients had received prior chemotherapy. Ten patients were treated with 5-FU doses of 600 mg/m2 iv on Days 1--5, followed by 1000 mg/m2 iv on Day 22 and then every second week. Among eight evaluable patients, partial remissions of 42--45 days' duration were seen in three cases. However, toxic reactions, consisting of thrombocytopenia (less than 50,000/mm3) in five cases and leukopenia (less than 1000/mm3) with septicemia in two patients, were unacceptable. Therefore, the remaining 16 patients were treated with 400 mg/m2 iv daily for 5 days, while the maintenance dosage of 5-FU remained unchanged. With this dosage the hematologic toxicity was moderate, but no responses were observed. It is concluded that 5-FU has a low order of activity in previously treated patients with small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the lung.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D005472:Fluorouracil