Mitomycin C etoposide and vinorelbine (MEV II) in the treatment of metastatic stage IV non small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
In a prior study with a new non-cisplatin-based regimen including mytomycin C, etoposide and vindesine (MEV I) we observed a 37% response rate and very low toxicity in stage IV non small cell lung cancer. In an attempt to improve the activity of MEV I we evaluated a new regimen, MEV II, a modification of MEV I in which vinorelbine replaced vindesine.


METHODS
21 patients with metastatic stage IV non small cell lung cancer entered the phase II trial and were treated with the MEV II regimen (mitomycin C 8 mg/m2, i.v., d 1, etoposide 100 mg/m2, i.v., d 1-3, vinorelbine 30 mg/m2, i.v., d 1, every 4 weeks.


RESULTS
We observed a partial response rate of 30% (95% confidence limits 10-50) with a median survival of 6 months. The worst reported toxicity was leukopenia grade 4 in 10% of patients including one who died of sepsis and grade 3 in 20%.


CONCLUSIONS
The MEV II regimen showed a similar activity but greater toxicity than MEV I.
Cattedra di Oncologia Medica, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università Federico II di Napoli, Italy.
C
C
Gridelli
A
A
Rossi
G
G
Palazzolo
R
R
Pepe
G
G
Airoma
P
P
Incoronato
A R
AR
Bianco
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077235:Vinorelbine
D016685:Mitomycin; D014747:Vinblastine; D005047:Etoposide; D000077235:Vinorelbine