Oral verapamil with chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a randomised study.
To determine if the chemotherapy resistance of non-small cell lung cancer could be modified by oral verapamil, 72 patients were entered into a randomised trial of verapamil plus chemotherapy vs the same chemotherapy alone. Verapamil 480 mg day-1 was given for 3 days starting 24 h prior to chemotherapy which consisted of bolus vindesine 7 mg followed by ifosfamide/mesna 5 g m-2 over 24 h, followed by mesna alone for a further 8 h. Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks for up to six courses. Sixty-six patients were eligible for tumour response analysis and responses occurred in 41% of those randomised to chemotherapy plus verapamil and in 18% of those randomised to chemotherapy alone (P = 0.057). Median survival from start of treatment was significantly better in the verapamil arm (P = 0.02). Toxicity of the combination of chemotherapy plus verapamil was principally neurological and was manageable. Thus the addition of oral verapamil to vindesine/ifosfamide chemotherapy is feasible and in this study was associated with improved outcome. Further confirmation of these observations is required in non-small cell lung cancer, a tumour characterised by resistance to conventional chemotherapy.
University Department of Clinical Oncology, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
M J
MJ
Millward
B M
BM
Cantwell
N C
NC
Munro
A
A
Robinson
P A
PA
Corris
A L
AL
Harris
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014700:Verapamil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D014751:Vindesine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D014700:Verapamil; D014751:Vindesine; D007069:Ifosfamide